The Forgotten Hero
by fatefulfaerie
Summary: The Hero of Time's journey through his perspective after Ganon is sealed away in Ocarina of Time. Rated T for dark themes and violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hello and welcome to my new fan fiction! This is the story of the Hero of Time told through Link's perspective. It starts right after Link defeats Ganon in Ocarina of Time. I tried to stay as canon as possible, so that means it does include actual cut scenes from the games (which I do not claim to own), but I had a lot of fun taking on the story through Link's perspective and building a full narrative out of what already exists in Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess.**

 **I've written a more beautiful story than I thought I ever could and I'm very excited to share all of it with you. As always, any feedback is welcome.**

 **The story, of course, carries more emotional weight if the events and characters of the three games are familiar to you, but I'd like to think that the story functions out of context as well.**

 **As far as logistics go, it reads as if Link is telling his story and the italics are Link's thoughts in the moment of the actual scene.**

 **Chapters 1-5 cover post-Ocarina of Time.**

 **I'll let you read now.**

* * *

 _'_ _Have I really done it?'_

 _'_ _Defeated Ganon?'_

 _'_ _Saved Hyrule?'_

 _'_ _Saved her?'_

I soon found myself transported out of the flash of white into a vacant realm, but for the calm blue skies and white clouds that surrounded us.

Us.

Yes, us.

She was right in front of me. Her royal garb and her graceful stature did not deny that she was the Princess of Hyrule, yet my mind couldn't help but stray in its' thoughts.

' _She is also a girl. Golden blonde hair, fair skin, blushed cheeks, her left arm now clutching her right elbow, her deep blue eyes now locked into mine, her lips soft…'_

 _'_ _Stop. Don't think that.'_

"Thank you, Link…Thanks to you, Ganondorf has been sealed inside the Evil Realm. Thus, peace will once again reign in this world…for a time."

She turned her head to her left shoulder, closed her eyes, and placed her hand on her heart.

 _'_ _Princess?'_

"All the tragedy that has befallen Hyrule was my doing…I was so young…I could not comprehend the consequences of trying to control the Sacred Realm. I dragged you into it too."

' _No you didn't, Zelda'_

 _"_ Now it is time for me to make up for my mistakes."

' _Well, say something, don't just stand here, staring…'_

"You must lay the Master Sword to rest and close the Door of Time…However, by doing this, the road between times will be closed…"

 _'_ _No…Zelda…'_

Zelda looked back up at me and extended her hand.

"Link, give the Ocarina to me…As a Sage, I can return you to your original time with it."

I looked down at the blue instrument that I held.

 _'_ _No, I don't want to go back. She doesn't have to do this.'_

I placed the ocarina in her palm while keeping my hand there.

 _'_ _This.'_

Zelda's sad eyes watched as she gently put her right hand on top of mine.

 _'_ _This is what I want'_

"When peace returns to Hyrule…It will be time for us to say goodbye…"

 _'_ _But…why? What if I don't want to say goodbye?'_

Zelda let go of my hand and held the Ocarina close to her chest.

"Now, go home, Link. Regain your lost time!"

' _Say something, anything, before it's too late.'_

"Home…where you are supposed to be…the way you are supposed to be…"

' _Zelda, I don't want this'_

 _'_ _Zelda, you don't have to do this'_

 _'_ _Zelda, you don't understand, you're all I need.'_

 _'_ _Zelda, What if I'm supposed to be with you?'_

 _'_ _Zelda, I can't lose you.'_

 _'_ _JUST SAY ANYTHING'_

My lips parted as I inhaled to speak, yet our blue eyes locked into each other once again, prompting me to close them and keep my silence.

 _'_ _No, I'm being selfish. I have no right. I am the Hero of Time. I am selfless and brave and courageous and noble. The door of time needs to be closed. Hyrule deserves peace. It doesn't matter what I want. It never should.'_

 _'_ _But, is this really what she wants?'_

Zelda kept her fixed gaze upon me, slowly putting the ocarina to her lips. Zelda closed her eyes as she began to play 'Zelda's Lullaby'.

Those simple tones used to give me comfort and solace, as they once reminded me of us. The wise princess and her courageous knight, a blooming friendship, a steady bond, unbroken by the dangerous trials of this world.

Yet, in that moment, the notes only carried an undeniable regret that this connection would soon be lost, soon be forgotten.

I watched her sad, blue eyes open as the magic of the ocarina lifted me up and out of the peaceful realm, away from her.

I was encapsulated by a beaming, turquoise light when I heard the words,

"Thank you…Link…Good-bye…"

What I wouldn't give now to go back and just say anything.


	2. Chapter 2

The shimmering blue light faded away and I landed gently on a familiar stone platform.

Before me was the Master Sword in its' pedestal, no longer a weight upon my back, no longer a reminder of my responsibility to save Hyrule, no longer a symbol of my heroism, no longer a part of me. It was just a sword, standing upright in it's mysterious grandeur, as if it were never pulled, never used, never mine.

I looked down to find myself shorter, smaller, younger than the man I just was and gazed back at the Master Sword.

 _'_ _Was this always my destiny?'_

A glimmer in the corner of my eye pulled my focus to my friend, Navi. Something was different. Something was off. She looked sad, but she didn't say a word. I watched as she slowly and quietly floated up towards the long window.

 _'_ _No…Navi…'_

 _'_ _No, I'm tired of staying silent. Look what good it brought me. SAY SOMETHING'_

"Navi…"

 _'_ _Why would she leave?'_

Navi didn't turn back, she simply kept flying away.

"Navi!," I yelled, my voice echoing among the stone walls of the temple.

It was no use. My fairy, my companion, my friend was gone.

"Navi…" I said as I bowed my head and felt a tear roll down my cheek.

I turned around and headed towards the exit.

I only paced a few feet before a thought suddenly stopped me in my tracks and widened my sad, blue eyes. I looked over my right shoulder at the stone pedestal behind me.

' _The Master Sword…I…I could go back…I could be the hero again…Navi wouldn't have left…I could tell Zelda everything…I could…I could…'_

I closed my eyes and pictured Zelda in my mind. The scared little girl, the elusive sheikah, the regal princess, the wise sage, the beautiful girl, the lost friendship…

 _'_ _No, I have to do this. I have to walk away. For Hyrule, for peace, for Zelda…'_

I opened my eyes and exited the chamber. The stone doors closed behind me with a harsh thud, prompting me to look back.

It was closed.

It was over.

It was done.

' _Was it always my destiny to lose everything?'_


	3. Chapter 3

_'_ _There she is, the scared little girl.'_

She was looking through a window, just like I remembered.

 _'_ _Could I really do this again? Say goodbye? Do I really have to?'_

I took a deep breath and started walking towards the princess. Hearing my boots against the grass, Zelda turned around in response and gasped.

"Who?!"

Her blue eyes were concentrated on me.

"Who are you?"

 _'_ _I knew she wouldn't remember, but-'_

"How did you get past the guards?"

 _'_ _-it's still painful…'_

"Oh? What's that?"

I watched as she walked closer and grabbed my arm, closely studying the back of my left hand.

' _Well, this is new'_

"Is that…"

Zelda looked up at me in disbelief and dropped the hold she had on my arm, maintaining eye contact as she took a step back.

"I'm sorry for grabbing you, but that mark on your hand…that could only mean…"

"Courage…" Zelda whispered.

She paused, looking as if she was deep in thought, before continuing.

"You're from the forest…Aren't you?"

I nodded. It didn't feel like the right time to explain where I had really just been.

"I had a dream…In the dream, dark storm clouds were billowing over the land of Hyrule…But suddenly, a ray of light shot out of the forest, parted the clouds and lit up the ground…The light turned into a figure holding a green and shining stone, followed by a fairy…I know this is a prophecy that someone would come from the forest…Yes, I thought you might be the one…"

I accidentally gave a small smile. She was just as I remembered her.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I got carried away with my story and didn't even properly introduce myself! I am Zelda, Princess of Hyrule. What is your name?"

"My name is Link."

Zelda smiled.

"…Link…Strange…it sounds somehow…familiar."

' _She will never know how much that hurt.'_

"Okay then, Link…I'm going to tell you the secret of the Sacred Realm that has been passed down by the Royal Family of Hyrule. Please keep this a secret from everyone…"

"No."

I knew I had to tell her the truth eventually. Putting it off would have just been more painful.

"Come on, don't be a blabbermouth!"

"I…I mean yes, I will keep everything a secret, but Princess…I've come to tell you something…"

"Oh?"

"Princess, the man you've been spying on, Ganondorf, you're right to suspect him of disloyalty. He plans to take control of the sacred realm and rule Hyrule with evil in his heart. Princess, you must not let him access the Door of Time. It must not be opened again. I know you plan to acquire the Triforce before he does, but…it won't work. He's waiting for us to open the door using the spiritual stones and the Ocarina of Time. Please, Princess, we must not allow this to happen."

Zelda was silent as she focused on the symbol on my left hand.

"You speak with a wisdom beyond your years. Somehow, I feel inclined to trust you. Even though we just met, I feel like I've always trusted you."

' _That one hurt too'_

"Link…I believe you…Ganondorf should not be trusted and it is quite believable that he would attempt something like that…but…I need to ask…where did you really come from before meeting me here?"

"The Temple of Time…the chamber that holds the Master Sword…"

Zelda looked up from my hand and locked her eyes with mine.

"I think I understand…the Master Sword allowed you to travel from a future where I made such a foolish mistake. To think of what my kingdom suffered at my hand…I'm sorry I ever thought of trying to control the sacred realm. I'm sorry that I ever thought of dragging you into it all. I can't even imagine what you've been through. I can only blame myself."

' _Not this again…But what do I say now?'_

 _'_ _Zelda, no, I did it for you and for Hyrule'_

 _'_ _What have I even done?'_

 _'_ _I didn't go on a large quest, I didn't defeat Ganondorf, and I didn't save her.'_

 _'_ _But I did'_

"You're right, Link…don't collect the spiritual stones…I will protect the Ocarina of Time with all my power! He shall not have it! We must not risk the door reopening."

I nodded.

"This knowledge has saved Hyrule and ensured its' peace, for a time. Thank you for your wisdom, Link."

"You're welcome, Princess."

Zelda smiled at me.

"You really are a hero of Hyrule…a…a hero of time…Yes…Link, the hero of time…How fitting."

' _I never really saved Hyrule. I never really was the hero. I don't deserve that title anymore. That honor has been taken away. It's selfish, I know, but maybe I deserve to be selfish. Maybe I regret not being remembered as the hero who defeated Ganondorf or the hero who through adversity, courage, and strength, saved the kingdom of Hyrule from evil's grasp. The hero who prophesied the evil nature of a male Gerudo and then mysteriously disappeared?'_

 _'_ _No…Look at her, she's smiling, she's happy, she's hopeful. I did this. It doesn't matter if I become the forgotten hero. I made her sad, blue eyes happy again. This one moment is worth everything I did or didn't do.'_

I smiled back at Zelda.

' _Maybe I could be a kid again. We could grow up together. I could become a soldier, a knight of Hyrule. I could protect her when evil comes again.'_

My smile faded as Zelda's words reentered my mind.

 _'_ _When peace returns to Hyrule…It will be time for us to say goodbye…'_

 _'_ _But…why?'_

 _"_ Link…what's wrong?"

 _'_ _I couldn't say goodbye, not now. I need more time'_

 _"_ Impa?"

Zelda looked over my shoulder at her attendant.

"Impa!", Zelda said with excitement.

She took my hand as she ran over to the Sheikah attendant, dragging me to run along with her.

Once we stopped in front of the tall woman with crossed arms, Zelda spoke with a childish enthusiasm I had never heard before.

"Impa! This is Link! He came from the forest! Well, he came from the Temple of Time actually. He knows everything! He came to warn us about reopening the Door of Time."

"I see," Impa said as she looked down at my left hand, "it seems you are fated to carry quite an interesting destiny, or, perhaps you already have."

Impa looked me up and down before meeting my glance.

"I am Impa of the Sheikahs. I am responsible for protecting Princess Zelda. You are a courageous boy…and I imagine your big adventure isn't quite over yet. My role in the Princess' dream was to teach a melody to the one from the forest. This is an ancient melody passed down by the Royal Family. I have played this song for Princess Zelda as a lullaby ever since she was a baby…There is mysterious power in these notes. Now listen carefully…Memorize this song…"

The Sheikah began to whistle 'Zelda's Lullaby'. It was familiar. It was too familiar. I pulled out the fairy ocarina and followed after her.

 _'_ _I hope I never have to hear it again after this. This is too painful. It only brings me back to my regrets. My sad memories of that beautiful princess…'_

"If the castle soldiers find you, there will be trouble. Let me lead you out of the castle."

"Wait, Link…before you go…"

Zelda's words prompted me to turn towards her.

"One more thing…Take this letter…I'm sure it will be helpful to you…"

Zelda paused before continuing.

"Link, will you promise me that you'll come back and visit me again?"

"I promise," I replied.


	4. Chapter 4

The drawbridge leading to Hyrule Castle Town extended out among the harsh rain and stormy clouds of the night. The fear-inducing sounds of lightning and thunder where soon deafened by the escalating sound of hooves galloping. I was frozen in my tracks staring at the large entrance.

' _What happened while I was gone? Is the princess okay?'_

The sight of a white horse prompted me to run to the side of the road as they rode past me.

 _'_ _Was that-'_

My thoughts were interrupted by a menacing black horse stopping in front of me.

' _Ganondorf…I could recognize that sly grin and those evil eyes anywhere.'_

 _'_ _But how?'_

 _'_ _I had saved Hyrule, right?'_

 _'_ _Right?'_

Everything went white.

I woke up suddenly, sitting straight up in my bed, panting heavy breaths.

 _'_ _It was just dream,'_ I thought, in an effort to calm myself down.

I was sleeping in my house, back in Kokiri Forest. I had decided to spend the night back home.

 _'_ _Everything is fine,'_ I told myself as I took a deep breath.

I sat on the edge of my bed, my head downcast and my hands placed on the soft bed on either side of me.

 _'_ _Why would I have a dream like that? It felt so real. The last time a dream felt like that was right before all this started. I know it was just a dream, but it was as scary as a nightmare'_

 _'_ _I'm an adult, I don't get nightmares'_

 _'_ _No, I'm not an adult, I'm a child'_

 _'_ _I'm a child who has always just been here in Kokiri. Is this really what Zelda wanted? Did she know how difficult it would be to be a child again? Did she just expect me to forget everything? To forget her? To forget what I had done? Was it really that easy for her to forget me? I can't live like that. I can't forget myself, the man I turned out to be, no matter how much of a child I am now. Did she know that sending me back would force me to forget a part of me? Had she any idea? If she did know, would she still have sent me back?'_

 _'_ _Goddesses, I should have just said ANYTHING. Why didn't I say anything?'_

 _'_ _That's it, I need to go back. I'll get the stones, I'll get the ocarina, I'll pull the Master Sword, whatever it takes, I'll save her again and I'll tell her. I'll tell her everything.'_

I put on my boots and started to gear up until a thought stopped me in my doorway. I staggered back at my sudden realization.

 _'_ _That's why…'_

 _'_ _That's why I have to say goodbye to her and leave Hyrule.'_

 _'_ _It's not just about keeping Ganondorf away from the Sacred Realm. I have to stay away too. The temptation is too great.'_

 _'_ _The dream was a premonition of my failure. My selfish feelings are a risk to Hyrule. I have to say goodbye…Zelda put Hyrule first and now…I must do my part as well…'_


	5. Chapter 5

"Link, you came!"

Princess Zelda had been awaiting me at the fields in front of the castle. I got off my horse and walked towards her, returning her smile.

"The guards know you're here. In fact, I told them about you so…so you could come to the castle anytime."

Zelda must have noticed my sad expression.

"Link, what's going on?"

"It's nothing"

"Link…"

Zelda eyes were now full of concern as she came closer and clasped her hand into mine. I bowed my head and closed my eyes in response.

' _I need more time'_

"Link…please…you can tell me anything…"

I looked back up at the princess, trying to keep my watery eyes from releasing tears.

"Oh Link…"

Zelda's concerned eyes suddenly turned to surprise as she dropped my hand, backed away and looked from Epona to me.

Zelda slowly turned around to face away from me. She took out a small object and held it in front of her chest.

"Impa cautioned me about this. I hoped it wasn't true, but…You are already leaving this land of Hyrule, aren't you?"

Zelda turned back around to reveal that she was holding the Ocarina of Time.

"Even though it was only a short time, I feel like I've known you forever."

' _Oh, Zelda…'_

 _"_ I'll never forget the days we spent together in Hyrule…And I believe in my heart that a day will come when I shall meet you again…"

 _'_ _I can't leave her, not again. What if she needs me?'_

 _"_ Until that day comes, please…Take this…"

' _What if I need her?'_

Zelda offered the ocarina towards me.

' _No…I have to be strong. I have to put Hyrule first. I have to ignore every instinct to stay here. It's too risky for me to be selfish.'_

 _"_ I am praying…I am praying that your journey be a safe one. If something should happen to you, remember this song…This reminds me of us…"

Zelda put the ocarina to her lips and played the 'Song of Time'. It carried so much more weight in that moment, as if I had been fated to hear it. Or, was it, that I had yet to uncover its' own mysterious destiny.

Zelda finished the song and offered the ocarina to me. I took it reluctantly and played the same song before putting it away.

I looked back up at Zelda, who locked her sad eyes with mine.

When it seemed as though we had no words left for each other, as if the words left in our minds were better left unspoken, Zelda ran up and embraced me.

For a moment, we were right there. The hero and the princess holding on to each other, the subconscious need for the other quenched, the innocent love of friendship harnessed.

 _'_ _I can hardly believe that the destiny that led me to you now requires me to let you go.'_

"Link, promise me you'll be safe…promise me you'll come home safe."

"I…I promise…Zelda."

I let go of the hug and watched Zelda's sad eyes before mounting my horse.

 _'_ _This isn't goodbye. I…I'll see her again.'_

I had no idea how wrong I was. If only I kept the promise I made.


	6. Chapter 6

I knew it wasn't Hyrule. I had passed those borders weeks ago. The foggy and mysterious atmosphere had been prevalent for days now, as well as the hundreds of thick trees. It didn't matter, though. I had to find the one who I knew would truly remember me as the hero, who would truly understand. Finding my past companion was the only thing that made sense.

Epona walked slowly. We were both tired, as it was the end of a long day of seeing the same trees, the same fog, the same patches of grass.

 _'_ _Wait…what was that? I could've sworn I heard…a fairy…Could it be?'_

I stopped Epona to look around, but I didn't see anything unusual.

 _'_ _No fairies…no Navi…nothing behind me eith-'_

"Aaah!" I screamed as I was thrown off of Epona.

I woke up moments later and sat up, shaking my head to get over the shock.

 _'_ _Who is that?'_

I stood up to find a skull kid accompanied by two fairies.

' _Is he?…He's playing my ocarina!'_

The skull kid laughed.

 _'_ _What's so funny? That's mine!'_

The skull kid turned around in response to the two fairies alerting him to my presence. Startled, he tried to hide the ocarina behind his back.

I stepped back to jolt forward, attempting to retrieve it.

' _That's mine! Zelda gave it to me! It's all I have!'_

The skull kid jumped onto Epona and rode as she tried to run.

 _'_ _No! Stop!'_ I thought as I held on to Epona.

I was being dragged across the muddy grass, but I refused to let go.

 _'_ _I can't lose her, too.'_

* * *

It seemed like miles that I was dragged, accumulating more scrapes and bruises with every gallop.

Suddenly, my hands slipped and I was tossed to the ground.

I stood back up and ran in the direction of the skull kid. I entered a dark cave and soon came across a precipice, an edge that would send me into the dark abyss below. I tried to stop my momentum, but it was too late. My foot slipped and I fell.

It was a long drop. There were times were I forgot I was falling. I would have been completely enshrouded in the darkness if not for the glowing faces.

Yes, faces.

A Deku.

A Goron.

A Zora.

That creepy mask the skull kid wore.

Even my ocarina floated among them.

 _'_ _Am I dreaming? This couldn't be real.'_

I finally landed quite hard on a large, pink flower.

 _'_ _I survived that?'_

I stood up and studied the large pink flower below me.

' _I've never seen this before…'_

A bright light suddenly shone in front of me, showcasing that impish skull kid and his two fairies as I looked up. He was quite different then the ones I had met in the Lost Woods. The others were playful and enthusiastic, yet the one I saw was malicious and elusive. It wasn't just the burning orange eyes or yellow spikes of his creepy, purple mask. His whole countenance, his manner, his actions, reeked of evil intent. He spoke with a mocking tone.

"What's with that stupid horse of yours?! It doesn't listen to a word that's said to it…"

 _'_ _How dare he! That's my horse! What in Hyrule has he done with her?'_

"There's no point in riding a thing like that, so I did you a favor and got rid of it…"

 _'_ _No!…Epona…She can't be gone…'_

"Aww, boo-hoo. Why the sad face?"

 _'_ _At this point it's probably my normal expression.'_

 _'_ _Would I ever smile again?'_

"I just thought I'd have a little fun with you…"

 _'_ _Fun?'_

"Oh, come now…Do you really think you can beat me as I am now? Fool!"

The imp started to shake his head, radiating waves of magic towards me.

I suddenly felt a blasting headache. This was pain stronger than I had ever felt before. I couldn't handle the torment. My hands supported my forehead as I bent over. I soon heard an odd noise above the pounding of my head.

Crackling.

Rustling.

Shaking.

When I found the strength to stand up, I was surrounded by Deku Scrubs. They were everywhere around me. I ran away using the only opening, pressing my hands against my bowed head.

' _I can't escape. There's too many. It…it's catching up to me. It's…'_

After a wave of darkness, the Skull Kid reappeared before me, just as he was before.

 _'_ _What just happened?'_

I looked down at my reflection in the water to see a Deku scrub.

 _'_ _No…no…no…'_ I thought as I shook my head.

 _'_ _This can't be…I'm a…I'm a…'_

 _"_ Hee, hee! Now, that's a good look for you! You'll stay here looking that way forever!"

 _'_ _I truly have lost everything. My future, my Zelda, my ocarina, my horse, my…my…myself…I…am…a…'_

The skull kid started to leave.

 _'_ _Wait! Get back here!'_

I ran to the open door only to be stopped by one of his fairies, who hit me four times and spit in my face.

 _'_ _That's definitely not Navi…'_

The door thudded closed. The yellow fairy flew fast towards the now inaccessible exit.

"Whoa! Whoa! Skull Kid, wait for me! I'm still here! Tael, you can't leave without me!"

The fairy banged her head against the door seven times before her wings showed her defeated expression. They sparked back up as she said,

"You!"

She flew back to me.

"If I wasn't dealing with you, I wouldn't have gotten separated from my brother!"

 _'_ _That's not my fault! None of this is my fault!'_

 _'_ _Besides, who does she think she is talking to me like that? Even Navi wasn't this rude.'_

 _'_ _Although, she does look quite like Navi up close-'_

"Well don't just sit there, Deku boy! Do something!…Why are you looking at me like that? What, is there something stuck on my face? Will you stop staring and just open that door for me?!"

 _'_ _Sounds like her too…'_

"Please! C'mon, a helpless, little girl is asking you…So hurry up!"

The fairy looked back at the door to say,

"Ohhhh, Tael…I wonder if that child will be all right on his own?"

* * *

After opening the door, the yellow fairy caught up to where I had run.

"Hey, wait for me! Don't leave me behind! So, um…That stuff back there…I…um…apologize, so…So take me with you!"

 _'_ _Why?'_

"You wanna know about that Skull Kid who just ran off right? Well, I just so happen have an idea of where he might be going. Take me with you and I'll help you out. Deal? Please?"

 _'_ _I guess.'_

I nodded.

"Now then, I'll be your partner…or at least until we catch that Skull Kid…"

 _'_ _Navi would definitely be jealous.'_

"My name's Tatl. So, uh, it's nice to meet you or whatever. Now that we've got all that straightened out, can we stop messing around and get moving?"

* * *

We made our way through the cave until we came across a peculiarly twisted hallway. Or, at least, that's how it looked to me.

 _'_ _Everything about this whole experience just seems a bit off.'_

I soon found myself in a large building with multiple cogs, as if I was among the inner workings of a clock. The large stone door closed behind me and I made my way up the stairs. I approached the wooden door with red markings, yet something stopped me from continuing.

"You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?"

* * *

 **Author's Note: And thus we delve into Majora's Mask, which will be chapters 6-13. Thank you so much for your support so far!**


	7. Chapter 7

_'_ _Where did he even come from?'_

I had turned around to find a Hylian, whose heavy backpack was weighted with masks and had hunched his figure. His hands were clasped together and he now bore a smile towards me. Not a welcoming, friendly smile, but rather a creepy and unsettling expression.

The strange man in purple clothes spoke again when I had come closer.

"I own the Happy Mask Shop. I travel far and wide in search of masks…During my travels a very important mask was stolen from me by an imp in the woods."

 _'_ _Sounds familiar.'_

"So here I am at a loss…And now I've found you. Now don't think me rude, but I have been following you…"

 _'_ _Excuse me? That's quite-'_

"…For I know of a way to return you to your former self."

 _'_ _I'm listening'_

"If you can get back the precious item that was stolen from you, I will return you to normal."

 _'_ _Even if I was turned back into a Hylian, would anything be normal? Was anything in my life ever normal? Do I even know what normal is? What is life really like when I'm not fighting monsters or being a hero or losing the things I take for granted? Would I ever know normal?'_

"In exchange…All I ask is that you also get back my precious mask that the imp stole from me."

 _'_ _Easier said than done.'_

 _"_ What?"

He must have spotted my overwhelmed expression.

"Is it not a simple task? Why, to someone like you, it should by no means be a difficult task."

 _'_ _If it was that easy, you could do it yourself.'_

"Except…The one thing is…I'm a very busy fellow…And I must leave this place in three days. How grateful I would be if you could bring it back to me before my time here is up…"

' _Three days! It took me months to save Hyrule. Well…years…technically…'_

 _'_ _If he really wanted the mask back he could afford to stay longer than three days. It's not like it would be the end of the world if he did.'_

"But yes…You'll be fine. I see you are young and have tremendous courage."

 _'_ _There is something I can never lose…or can I?'_

"I'm sure you'll find it right away. Well then, I am counting on you."

Once I figured he had finished speaking, I pushed the wooden doors open to find myself in the middle of Clock Town.

* * *

That town…

That goddess-forsaken town…

Bustling with people, that town was full of life, full of purpose. Within a superficial perspective, I found it quite like Hyrule Castle Town. Everyone had their own passions, their own jobs, their own dreams. As they prepared for the festivities of a grand carnival, I found it like any community of people. Opposing viewpoints, contrasting ideals, yet united under a certain pride of belonging, a common goal to prosper as a group of vastly unique individuals.

Yet, I only had to looked deeper to find its' flaws, or rather, I only had to look up.

I saw it on the second day. A shockingly large sphere only mere miles above the town, as if it could drop any second.

I soon found that slowly, yet surely, the moon really was falling.

This town that was so readily united by pride, was just as easily divided by fear. As the hours elapsed, more and more of these individuals either prepared to run and save themselves or were determined to deny that the moon would ever fall and destroy everything.

To this day, I still don't know which is more sad. Taking pride in themselves and fleeing with undertones of selfishness or taking pride in their town and becoming blind to the horror above them. As I navigated through that town, I was astonished at how easily that group of people became divided.

 _'_ _Is peace that fragile, that a small speck of fear can cause everything they had built to come crashing down?'_

Yet, as I met that third day, those final hours, I began to feel the doom in the air, the very reason that all those who were stuck in denial had broken free and fled. Every step, every movement, every sight was filled with loss, a saddening sense of foreboding annihilation. That dreaded moon had seeped any semblance of hope from a once prosperous town and I was the only one left to witness the final embodiment of its' destruction.

I must admit, I might have fled too, if it weren't for that instinct inside me.

The instinct to stay.

The instinct to fight.

The instinct to be a hero.

The instinct to be courageous.

 _'_ _I will get the mask back and maybe I'll be able to stop the end of the world.'_

 _'_ _I have to try.'_

 _'_ _For this town…this goddess-forsaken town…'_

* * *

I found him on top of the Clock Tower. He was floating several feet above me, facing the other direction.

He turned around when he noticed my presence, tossing and twirling the Ocarina of Time in his left hand, reveling in the knowledge that he had it and I didn't.

"Sis!", exclaimed Tael.

"Ah! Tael!," Tatl responded, "we've been looking for you two. Hey, Skull Kid, what if you gave that mask you're wearing back now? Hey, c'mon, are you listening?"

The purple fairy came forward.

"Swamp. Mountain. Ocean. Canyon. Hurry…The four who are there…Bring them here…"

The skull kid knocked Tael aside saying,

"Don't speak out of line! Stupid fairy!"

"Nooo! What are you doing to my brother? Skull Kid, do you still think you're our friend after that?!"

"…Well, whatever."

 _'_ _He doesn't even care.'_

"Even if they were to come now they wouldn't be able to handle me…Hee, hee. Just look above you…"

 _'_ _I noticed that'_

"If it's something that can be stopped, then just try to stop it!"

 _'_ _Believe me, I will'_

The skull kid screamed and produced a cascading wave of dark magic, pulling the moon down even faster.

 _'_ _So, he is responsible for all this'_

Without hesitation, I stunned him using the magic power I acquired from the Great Fairy, forcing him to drop my ocarina. As soon I as I touched it, memories of Princess Zelda came rushing back to me.

 _'_ _Our final goodbye…I can see her so clearly, even if this feels like a distant memory. She is right there, her hopeful blue eyes and her sweet smile, but deep down I know she isn't. I hope she is safe, in Hyrule, in her kingdom…'_

 _'_ _Wait…final goodbye…why would I think that? I'll see her again. Of course I will.'_

 _'_ _If the moon does crash and world ends, does that mean Hyrule will be destroyed as well?'_

 _'_ _Oh no…there's too much at stake…I must succeed. To save this town. To save the world. To see Zelda again. To keep the promise I made to her. I have to try.'_

"Snap out of it!" exclaimed Tatl, "What are you doing lost in memories?! Get yourself together! Getting that old ocarina back isn't gonna help us!"

 _'_ _Actually, I think it might'_

The fairy continued, "Somebody! Anybody! Goddess of Time, help us please! We need more time!"

I pulled out my ocarina, only it appeared as Deku pipes, as I was still in my cursed form.

"Huh? When did you get that instrument?!"

After playing the 'Song of Time', I was encapsulated by white. I was no longer atop the clock tower and the moon's horrid smile was no longer taunting me.

I was falling again.

Grey clocks swirled around me as those fateful tones swelled around me.

 _'_ _What have I done? Was this the end of the world? Am I even still alive?'_

* * *

"W-What just happened?! Everything has…"

' _We're back…in Clock Town…'_

"…started over…"

In response to Tatl's comment, I ran forward to get a better view of the moon. It was still there, of course it wouldn't be that easy, but it was farther away. I had bought myself more time.

"Wha…What are you anyway? The song you played…That instrument…That instrument! Wait! That's it! Your instrument! The mask salesman said that if you got back the precious thing that was stolen from you, he could return you to normal! Did you completely forget or what?"

 _'_ _I guess I did.'_

I reentered the Clock Tower and approached the strange man as he started to speak.

"Were you able to recover your precious item from that imp?"

I barely got a chance to nod before he grabbed my shoulders and started to shake me.

"Oh! Oh! Ohhh! You got it! You got it! You got it! You got it!"

The next thing I knew the strange man was sitting at a large organ and was looking at me.

 _'_ _I must really be losing my mind. I didn't even see him walk over there and where in this goddess-forsaken world did that massive organ come from?'_

"Then listen to me. Please play this song that I am about to perform, and remember it well…"

 _'_ _Apparently it doesn't bother him at all.'_

"Follow along after me."

I had never before heard the song he played. It filled me with a comfort I hadn't felt for a very long time. For a few minutes, I was eased, healed by the unexpectedly calming notes of that song. I forgot my regrets and the burdens of my soul and could concentrate on the things that made me happy.

 _'_ _Sleeping after a long day'_

 _'_ _Forests yet to be explored'_

 _'_ _Golden sunlight filtered through the green leaves of trees'_

 _'_ _A warm, sunny afternoon'_

 _'_ _Riding on Epona'_

 _'_ _My friendship with Saria'_

 _'_ _Zelda's smile'_

I was surrounded by darkness again, but it wasn't unsettling or empty, it felt right. For just a moment, I felt like everything would be okay.

The large deku I saw before faded back into the darkness as I waved it goodbye.

Once I was ushered back into reality, I heard something fall on the ground in front of me.

 _'_ _Boots…arms…tunic…shield…I am Link again, Hero of…oh…right…I lost that title…but I'm still Link….I'm still me…I still have that much…'_

I breathed a sigh of relief.

"This is a melody that heals evil magic and trouble spirits, turning them into masks. I am sure it will be of assistance to you in the future. Ah, yes. I give you this mask in commemoration of this day. Fear not, for the magic has been sealed inside the mask. When you wear it, you will transform into the shape you just were. When you remove it, you will return to normal."

 _'_ _That'll be useful'_

"Now, I have fulfilled my promise to you…So, please give me that which you promised me…"

 _'_ _Oh…'_

I bowed my head to hide my guilty expression.

"Don't tell me…"

 _'_ _Well…'_

"My mask…"

 _'_ _About that…'_

"You did…"

 _'_ _I may have…'_

"get it back…"

 _'_ _forgotten…'_

"Didn't you?"

His oddly smiling face abruptly changed to one of pure anger. I quickly discovered that this man still had more potential to startle me.

He picked me up by my shoulders and shook me, dangling me above the ground as he exclaimed,

"What have you done to me!"

He put me down and shook his own head with worry and anguish.

"If you leave my mask out there, something terrible will happen! The mask that was stolen from me…It is called Majora's Mask. It is an accursed item from legend that is said to have been used by an ancient tribe in its' hexing rituals. It is said that an evil and wicked power is bestowed upon the one who wears that mask."

 _'_ _That would explain quite a lot. Could that Skull Kid really just be as playful and enthusiastic as the others in the forest underneath the mask? Or does the mask ignite that flicker of darkness that everyone has within their souls? Is the evil I have to destroy really just a cursed mask, or is it more complex than that?'_

 _"_ According to legend…the troubles caused by Majora's Mask were so great…the ancient ones, fearing such catastrophe, sealed the mask in shadow forever, preventing its misuse. But now, that tribe from the legend has vanished, so no one really knows the true nature of the mask's power…But I feel it. I went to great lengths to get that legendary mask. When I finally had it…I could sense the doom of a dark omen brewing. It was that unwelcome feeling that makes your hair stand on end. And now…that imp has it…I am begging you! You must get that mask back quickly or something horrible will happen!"

The man repeatedly bowed his head.

"I'm begging you! I'm begging you! You must do it!"

"Okay, okay, I will," I said.

"Really? You'll do it for me?"

"Y-Yes," I replied with hesitation.

 _'_ _Could I really pull this off?'_

"I was certain you would tell me that. You'll be fine! Surely, you can do it. Believe in your strengths…Believe…"

I gave a look of uncertainty towards the Happy Mask Salesman before opening the wooden doors and reentering Clock Town.

"That mask…" Tatl started, "The Skull Kid uses the power of that mask to do those terrible things. Well…whatever it takes, we've gotta do something about it…The swamp, mountains, ocean and canyon that Tael was trying to tell us about…I bet he was referring to the four areas just outside town. There's one in each compass direction. But what do you suppose he meant by the four who are there? I have no idea. He always skips important stuff. I guess we should just go and find out…If we go through that gate straight ahead, we'll be heading in the direction of the swamp."

I stopped and looked around. I knew Tatl wanted us to get going, and I knew I had no time to lose, but I couldn't help but get lost in thought.

 _'_ _All these people…I can't deny anymore that they would lose everything to such a catastrophe, that they would lose each other. I've watched their hope fade away as their proudly hung clock ticks away their lives. I've seen the moon come further and further down. I've heard the desperate cries and screams of the people as they flee. All this time, they were denying what I now know now to be the truth. The moon will fall. Their destruction is inevitable.'_

 _'_ _Denial…such a habitual path to wander. An easy escape from the truths we cannot accept. I'm afraid even I was not immune to the allure of ignorance. Yes, I was guilty of denying the destructive celestial event that was set to take place three days from now. But I was also denying something else.'_

 _'_ _It was so much easier to set it aside, but maybe I need to stop denying the truth. Maybe it is my destiny to lose everything. Maybe that's okay. Maybe the world needs someone to take the fall, to sacrifice their own well-being, their own happiness, for the prosperity of so many others.'_

 _'_ _It is clearly my fate to be the hero, to put my life at risk for the slight chance that something I do will save the lives of others. I, at the very least, have to try to stop this.'_

 _'_ _It really would mean the end of the world if I didn't save this goddess-forsaken town.'_


	8. Chapter 8

"Stop right there!"

I was nearing the exit out of Clock Town when I was stopped by a guard.

 _'_ _I seriously can't get past?'_

"Have you some errand in the swamp? It is dangerous outside the town walls, so I cannot allow a child like you to…"

 _'_ _This again, I'm so sick of being a child. No one ever takes me se-'_

"…A sword?"

 _'_ _Huh?'_

"My apologies, sir. It was wrong of me to treat you like a child. The southern swamp at Woodfall lies in this direction. Be careful."

I entered Termina Field, yet my amazement stopped me in my tracks.

 _'_ _Did that just happen? Am I not a child? Am I an adult? I know, physically I am a child, yet…I had been an adult before…What quantifies growing up? Change…Experience…Trauma…the ability to learn from my mistakes…I've done all that. Not to say that I'm anywhere near perfect, but…is it wrong for me to crave being treated with respect and not constantly being cast aside? Is it wrong for me to envy the life I could have had if I wasn't sent back in time? Did I not deserve it? My quest remembered by all, my princess in my arms, my future secure…'_

 _'_ _It's a selfish thought, I know, but will my efforts here be forgotten too?'_

I started walking through the columns towards the swamp.

 _'_ _No…I can't think like that. I have to be selfless. The world needs to me be selfless. I can no longer deny my purpose in this world.'_

A sudden sight stopped my thoughts. Tatl flew towards a tree with markings at its' base and I followed. It was an image of the skull kid with two fairies floating above him.

"Oh! I remember this! Tael and I drew this with the Skull Kid when we first met him…He told us that he had been fighting with his friends and that they had left him all alone…I'm sure it was because he was always playing tricks, so nobody wanted to play with him. But to do what he did just because of that…And once he got his power…"

 _'_ _He betrayed them. He was their friend and he betrayed their trust. He betrayed his home, his world. How could he? It honestly angers me that the Skull Kid could be so vengeful to doom the world that condemned him to such destruction and chaos. Even if he really was broken by the world around him, it just doesn't seem right.'_

 _'_ _Are broken souls so destined to have their own morals misaligned?'_

* * *

Plagued by the toxic purple waters and filled with all kinds of creatures and critters, Termina's swamp was home to the Deku, who resided in Deku Palace. And all of them, every single being, had less than three days to live if I failed. It really was an entire world that depended on me. And, of course, that moon was visible anywhere I went, a constant reminder of the impending doom that I was responsible for appeasing.

I entered the royal palace of the Deku King and approached him.

"I haven't seen your face before. Are you visiting? Usually I don't allow the likes of you in my royal chamber, but today is different! We're about to punish the foolish monkey who kidnapped the Deku princess! He has insulted the Royal Family. I'll show him what happens when you do that! That foolish monkey is up in that cage. Take a good look at his face!"

I snuck around the palace to talk to the monkey. The others I had met before were so nice and helpful that it was hard for me to believe that one of them had evil intentions.

' _What reason would the monkey have to kidnap the princess?'_

The monkey was in large cage and was tied to a post.

"They keep saying I kidnapped her. No matter how many times they say it, it's not going to bring the princess back! If they're not careful, the princess will fall victim to a monster! Why won't they believe what I say?"

The monkey paused.

 _'_ _Does he expect me to answer? I don't know why they won't believe him! I wish I did.'_

"…Fine! I get it! Then I shall say nothing more to you! Punish me or do whatever else you might!"

 _'_ _No, no, I'm not here to hurt you. Oh, how do I make him understand…maybe this will work…'_

I pulled out my ocarina, well, my deku pipes, to which he responded positively.

"Oh! You have them! You do! Just like the princess…Deku Pipes! Those will work great!"

 _'_ _For what?'_

"By the way…who are you?"

The Deku King suddenly looked over in our direction.

"…Whoa! That's not important now…Just listen to me! I was trying to find out about the poison in the swamp, so I went to Woodfall Temple above the waterfall. But the temple had become a monster's lair, and the princess was captured by the monster…Since the Deku King thinks I kidnapped the princess, he won't listen to a word I say. Now the princess is in trouble, so I must hurry to the temple and save her! Do you understand my plight?"

"Yes," I replied as I nodded my head.

"So then, that means…You will go in my place and save the princess!"

I nodded again.

"Okay, now I'll teach you the melody that opens the temple. The princess taught it to me! We can't let them hear us, so I'll sing it softly…Open your ears and listen hard!"

It was a new song called the "Sonata of Awakening" and I could tell that everyone in the chambers had pulled their focus to my pipes.

 _'_ _Oh no! What will they do?'_

"Everyone did you hear that?" I heard the king say, "This melody, which only the Deku Royal Family knows…It proves the foolish monkey deceived the princess so he could enter the temple!"

 _'_ _No, he doesn't understand'_

"Everyone! Let the monkey's punishment commence!"

I barely finished my last note before I was dragged off by the deku guards.

"You'd better take the shortcut the Deku people use to get to Woodfall Temple," The monkey yelled as he drifted out of my sight, "but you must hurry! If you don't, I will be punished by the Deku King!"

* * *

The temple was filled to brim with that purple, poisonous water and crowded with hostile creatures, some familiar, some entirely foreign. With evil lurking around every dark corner, I had no choice but to fall back on my instinct to be courageous in the face of danger. After hours of battling the strange creatures of the swamp and navigating amongst deku flowers and toxic waters, I came across the masked jungle warrior, Odolwa.

He was over three times the size of myself and fought with a quite large sword and shield, or maybe that was because I was so small. His yellow-green skin was patterned with lines of red and blue and his face resembled the ones that had been dotted around the temple. Although his burning red eyes and swiftly painful sword strikes were quite intent on ending me, I killed him before he got the chance.

He erupted into blue flames until all that remained was a mask of his face.

 _'_ _He too, was wearing a mask…'_

As I watched the mask float upwards, I found myself transported to another realm.

It was green, with bubbles floating everywhere around me and seemingly endless waterfalls tumbling down into the cloudy abyss blow. I stood on a large green pillar and looked around.

"What's that?" asked Tatl.

The clouds split to reveal a large orange giant, who raised his arms and cried out in a slow and resounding voice.

 _'_ _Why does he sound so sad?'_

"Wait…," said the fairy, "Listen…It seems to be saying something…Could that crying be it's way of teaching us some sort of melody? Don't just stand there…Get your instrument…Could this be the song?"

I copied after the tones that Tatl replicated and discovered the song 'Oath to Order'.

A sad melody, that was more melancholy than upsetting and more sorrowful than calamitous. It's awe-inspiring mystery carried a dismal, yet honest story told by so many, yet heard by so few.

"Call us," the giant said slowly as I was transported back to the Woodfall temple.

"The four people Tael talked about…," started Tatl once we arrived, "Do you think he was talking about the spirit that was sealed inside that mask?…Oh! Hey you were pretty good out there! Have you done this before or what?"

 _"_ _Kind of…"_

"Now, just keep up that pace and save the other three!"

Tatl paused before continuing.

"Hey!"

 _'_ _What?'_

"Um…"

 _"_ _Yes?"_

"All that stuff I did to you…your horse…I…I apologize."

 _'_ _That actually sounded sincere…'_

"…Sorry."

I couldn't help but smile.

 _'_ _No matter what I have been through or what I still have yet to endure, I found a friend in this yellow fairy.'_

"There! I apologized! So don't hold it against me, got it? Now then, we've helped the princess just like the monkey asked…So now our next stop is in the mountains! Let's hurry and do something about that Skull Kid!"

I went through the arched doorway in front of me to find the Deku princess. She was adorned with pink flowers and her grassy hair had been pulled up into a ponytail.

"Wha?…Who are you?"

"I'm Link"

"Link? Pleased to meet you. I am the Deku princess. Were you, by chance, asked by that monkey to come save me?"

I nodded.

"Aha! Just as I suspected! You see, your body smells a little bit like monkey."

 _'_ _She's probably not wrong, but still…'_

"So…the monkey made it back fine after all. That's good."

 _'_ _Well…'_

The princess walked towards the exit saying,

"I was worried that when I didn't come home, my father would think that monkey had kidnapped me! I was worried that my father would even go so far as to punish the poor monkey! Hoo-hoo-hoo…"

"Um…Princess…" I started.

She turned back around towards me.

"…Don't tell me…"

"That's exactly what happened." I stated.

"Are you serious?!"

I nodded.

"Is father actually doing that?! Yet another hasty decision, Father!"

She started to get angry and spoke with more urgency.

"W-Well, we haven't any time to lose…Quickly, Mr. Link, could you please find something to carry me in so you can take me to the Deku Palace?"

 _'_ _Uh…I don't really have anything other than this bottle, but that'll never…' 'What?'_

It actually worked.

 _'_ _Something is definitely wrong with this world I've stumbled into…'_

"Ungh! Mr. Link! There's nuh-no time to lose! Huh-Hurry! Take me to the palace!"

* * *

When I entered the Royal Chambers again, the monkey was moments away from being burned.

"Hwh-Hwhy are you hwaiting?," I heard, "Mr. Link!"

I hurried to the King and released the princess in front of him.

"Oh, my princess!" he exclaimed, "My darling princess! You are all right? I was so worried."

The angry princess responded, "H-Hufff-huhhh! Foolish father!", and proceeded to repeatedly jump on her father in her rage.

She turned her fuming head to the deku attendants, saying,

"WHAT are you doing?! Let that monkey go this instant!"

The attendants released the monkey and the princess and I ran to where he stood.

"Oh, Mr. Monkey, I am truly sorry. Father does such rash things when he's worried about me."

"I understand, Princess. Forget about that. Has the temple been returned to normal?"

 _'_ _He's surprisingly calm for someone who was just seconds away from death. He isn't angry at all.'_

"Why yes, thanks to Mr. Link here. I am very, truly grateful."

"Really?," asked the monkey, "so you're called Link, are you?"

I nodded.

"Thank you for keeping your promise to me."

"As a symbol of our gratitude, our butler has prepared a little something for you. Please accept it. You'll find it in the shrine that will be to you right when you exit the palace."

I bowed to the Deku princess and said,

"Thank you," before exiting the palace.

 _'_ _That king,'_ I thought as I navigated the lily pads.

 _'_ _He was so angry and so enraged that he was blinded to the innocence of the monkey. He could've killed him, murdered him for a crime he did not commit.'_

 _'_ _No matter how angry he was, it was all futile, his rage didn't bring his daughter back, it never could have. Anger doesn't change anything, it simply clouds an otherwise moral perspective.'_

 _'_ _There is no point in me being mad at Zelda for sending me back or mad at the Skull Kid for condemning the world to destruction.'_

 _'_ _Perhaps I judged too hastily on part of the Skull Kid.'_

 _'_ _Perhaps I failed to see that the Skull Kid also became something he couldn't control…'_

 _'_ _Something far worse…'_


	9. Chapter 9

It was cold, so very cold.

I was always glad that my quest in Hyrule never led me to the frigid Northern Mountain that the royal knights of Hyrule Castle would rumor of. There were supposed to be yetis up there, but that wasn't what kept me away. It was the freezing temperature. The very idea of being chilled to the bone and tuned into an ice block was definitely unappealing. I was glad be out of that Ice Cavern in Zora's Domain as soon as I was. Even as an adult, I never liked the cold, it always felt empty, lonely.

 _'_ _Here I am, on another quest. What would I have to do to be rid of this torment, this burden to be the hero, this constant sacrifice, this perpetual instinct to be courageous, this burning desire to be remembered…What would I have to give? What did I have to give? I have already lost everything.'_

 _'_ _But have I? I still have my name, my courage, my honor, my sanity, my self, my life. I know better than anyone that I shouldn't take those things for granted.'_

 _'_ _Would it be worth it?…to give up everything at the cost of who I was just to be at peace with myself, just to see Zelda again, just to live a life…'_

 _'_ _I guess that's why I'm here. I wasn't willing to give it all up. I couldn't. It wasn't sensible for me to put myself before the lives of the citizens of Hyrule and now, the denizens of this world'_

 _'_ _Goddesses, it's cold. What was I just thinking about? Something about…I don't remember. It probably wasn't that important. I'll just keep…'_

 _'_ _Umm…where did he come from? I didn't see him before.'_

A proud Goron was now before me, yet he had an opaquely grey skin color and was floating about a foot off the ground.

"Can it be?" the Goron asked, "Are you able to see me? If you truly can see me, then follow behind me…"

* * *

I followed him to a snowy cliff, where I spotted two freezing Gorons in front of the entrance to a cave.

 _'_ _These poor Gorons…they must be willing to do anything to be somewhere like Death Mountain, even to just be out of the cold.'_

The cave filled me with a revitalizing warmth as soon as I entered, which was a welcome contrast to the frozen tundra just outside.

I walked towards a large grave surrounded by odd purple spikes where the Goron was waiting for me.

"The soaring one said the one who could see me would be arriving soon…It seems that it turned out to be true. I am Darmani the Third. The blood of proud Goron heroes runs in me. This feels strange for me to say, but when I was alive, I was a renowned warrior and veteran."

 _'_ _So he is dead'_

"Yes…When I was alive…But alas…I am now dead. I was fine until I marched off to Snowhead by myself, hoping that I could drive off a demon. It had been wreaking havoc on Goron Village…Then the blizzard at Snowhead blew me into the valley…And now…Here I am…"

 _'_ _I have no right to take my own life for granted, not when so many others have lost theirs.'_

"How infuriating! As I am, I can only watch as Goron Village is slowly buried in ice…I may have died, but I cannot rest."

"So, you can use magic?" The Goron asked.

 _'_ _I guess, but I'm not sure a tiny bubble will really help you…'_

 _"_ The soaring one told me that you are able to use it…"

 _'_ _It really isn't much.'_

"I beg you! Bring me back to life with your magic!"

 _'_ _Bargaining with me won't change anything.'_

"I really am sorry," I sad, "…but I don't think I am able to…'

"If it is beyond your power, then I beg of you to do this for me instead…Heal my sorrows. Any way that you can do it will suffice…Please…heal my sorrows."

 _'_ _Oh…the magic of music…it transports you across time and space and even into yourself, into memories, into feelings. Nowhere have I been where I have seen magic quite like it. There is so much power in certain notes and certain melodies that provides something genuine to any listener…and that song…that song the oddly happy mask salesman taught me…it had brought me so much happiness, so much peace, if only for the briefest of moments. I can only hope it can give him the same comfort and solace.'_

As I brought the ocarina to my lips and played that healing song, my vision blurred and faded into white.

"What a soothing melody," I heard, "…my sorrows are melting away into the song."

I saw crowds of Gorons, raising their arms in pride and cheering for their leader. He was their hero, yet he had died. He had failed them. The deceased Goron cried golden tears at the mere sight of his people being happy, having peace, persevering on their own, yet indebted to him, their savior, for their tranquility. He cried because he knew all too well that his people were now suffering instead, and it was his fault.

As the Goron faded away, he nodded at me.

 _'_ _It is I, now. It is I who is responsible for the lives of the Gorons, the lives of everyone. I knew that already, but…'_

 _'_ _It doesn't matter what I would be willing to give up to change my destiny because that's just it. I can't change my destiny. I am destined to give up everything for the lives of others. That is my sacrifice. My life doesn't matter anymore. I can't change the fact that Zelda sent me back in time and I can't change the fact that I will be forgotten. All legends die eventually, that's out of my control. I can only control what I do in the moment, after learning from past joy, and yes, past failure. I owe it to everyone to sacrifice myself for them, and not for me. If I die saving someone else, than…well…I would have died like this Goron. He didn't die with everything he wanted, but he died fighting for it, fighting for others…a noble and heroic cause that I now uphold without hesitation.'_

"I leave my undying feelings with you…" I heard a voice say, "The deeds I accomplished while living are carved on my grave. You should read it."

I picked up the mask before me and heard the voice again.

"For the Goron Village…I have asked your assistance…"

* * *

Snowhead Temple was even colder than the snowy village outside, and incredibly more perilous. If it weren't for the occasional lake of lava to balance the freezing temperature, I may have ended up a block of ice. I spent a long day dodging freezards, avoiding getting impaled by icicles, surviving the magical attacks of the wizzrobe, and trying not to fall off high precipices. As much fun as it was to roll around like a Goron, I was glad to be done with that temple as soon as I was.

Goht, the masked mechanical monster, was frozen in a towering ice block. Once the heat of my fire arrow thawed him, he ran fast in a circular pattern and, if it weren't for my new Goron abilities, I would have been trampled into the ground. However painful the summoned shocks of electricity were, he eventually took enough damage to run into a wall, disoriented, resulting in multiple boulders falling on him.

Much like Odolwa, his remains took the form of a mask in the likeness of his face, which transported me as soon as I laid a finger on it.

This time, everything was white, the large pillar, the bubbles, the endless waterfalls, all a pristine and pure white.

"W-What exactly are all of you?" asked Tatl.

"Guardians," replied the giant.

"Guardians?" the fairy retorted, "So…You're protective gods? That's why you're in the temples…But why are the protective gods…?"

The giant started to fade away.

"No, wait! Are you listening to me? Hey! Wait…"

We were transported back to the village and I couldn't help but smile when I saw lush green grass and a tall green pine tree.

 _'_ _I had done it. Snowhead no longer would cause these poor Gorons the unbearable cold. They could live and be happy in their home, just what their chief had died for.'_

 _'_ _But…'_

My smile faded.

 _'_ _Oh no…'_

 _'_ _It's inevitable isn't it?'_

 _'_ _When…when I restart the three-day cycle…everything…will go back…'_

 _'_ _They don't deserve the cruelty of this world. No one does. Not even the Skull Kid.'_

* * *

I didn't know why I wanted to keep going.

 _'_ _What is past that boulder that is so important? What is pulling me towards it? Why is it my instinct to find what it would reveal as soon as possible? What am I even expecting to find?'_

The boulder exploded with a large boom, revealing the pathway to Romani Ranch. I ran up the grassy hills to the settlements ahead of me and I was looking up at the massive moon above when I heard her.

 _'_ _I know that whinny'_

"L-Look!" Tatl exclaimed.

"Isn't that your horse?!," she said as I looked over.

 _'_ _It is, it really is!'_

I yelled "Epona!" as I ran over.

 _'_ _It really is her. She's alive. She's okay.'_

 _'_ _I thought I lost her forever. I'm so glad I still have her. My horse…my friend…I thought I lost everything…but seeing her again…riding her…this bright smile on my face…maybe everything would turn out okay…maybe…'_


	10. Chapter 10

_'_ _Is…that a person?'_

 _'_ _No, it's a…Zora…'_

"Unghhh…Somebody," the Zora groaned, "unghh…Please…G-gu-hu…Get me…to shore…"

I helped the Zora to shore for him to stand up and stagger about the sands.

 _'_ _Is he okay?'_

The Zora collapsed on the beach, prompting me to run to his side.

"Uuuungh…I am Mikau of the Zora people…guitarist in the Zora band…I think this is it for me…My final message…Will you listen to it?"

"I'll listen."

The Zora stood up with an oddly renewed energy and brought out his fishbone guitar.

 _'_ _Oh…he's going to sing his final message…'_

"One! Two! Three! Oh, baby, baby, listen to me! The carnival's beginning soon. We're the ones they're waiting to see. But that girl, our vocalist…She laid some strange eggs. And she's lost her voice, you can't hear what she says. Whoa-oh! In Great Bay now somethin' is a-happenin'. Is it now? Oh! Baby, listen to me. I don't wanna beg. Gerudo Pirates! They stole that girl's eggs. I went to stop the Gerudo Pirates, then pow and bam! I got knocked down and here I am! Baby! If I die like this…Even if I die…It won't be in peace…That's for suuure! Somebody, please rescue her eggs before the pirates take her toll. Oh, somebody, somebody, please heal my soul. Thats all…Thank you!"

The Zora collapsed again and laid on the floor as if he had never stood up.

 _'_ _Heal my soul…'_

I stood in front of his dying body and played the 'Song of Healing'.

With that, I was ushered into a vision. Mikau was floating in the darkness and before him appeared a female Zora, whose spotlight encapsulated them both. The female looked over at a band of Zora's before their eyes met again. They smiled as they joined hands and walked towards the rest of the Zora's.

' _The way they looked at each other…I…I know that look…It's the look me and Princess Zelda shared when we first met, when she revealed herself to be Sheik, when we said goodbye for the first time, and the second, and the last…'_

 _'_ _Yes…the last…I've accepted that I may never see her again, that my destiny has intended otherwise, yet…is it wrong for me to be sad? She probably doesn't miss me, but…Is it wrong for me to miss her?'_

The vision faded and I was left with a mask of the face of a sad Zora.

"Carve my farewell song on my grave…I'm depending on you to help that singer girl…"

* * *

After relinquishing the precious eggs from the Gerudo pirates, I knew I needed to find "the singer girl" that was so afflicted with loss. According to the other Zora's, her name was Lulu, and she was the lead singer of a band called the "Indigo-Go's". I found her outside Zora Hall looking out in desperation at the rippling blue ocean. She didn't notice my presence.

 _'_ _She…she looks so sad…I guess I'm not alone in my suffering…everyone has suffered in their own way. Even though I'm the hero…it…it's okay for me to be sad, too. It's a normal reaction to loss. Everyone has their own right to be sad, especially her…but…everyone deserves happiness, too, at least once…'_

As I played her the song that I learned from the eggs' tadpoles, her eyes lit up and she started to sing along with a newfound joy.

 _'_ _I can't break it to her that her true love is dead…she deserves at least a few moments of happiness, knowing that her eggs are safe, before she finds out about Mikau's death…'_

Suddenly, a large, green turtle emerged from below the water, prompting me to shield my face from the large splash.

"Mm…Mm…Yeeeaaawn! I slept quite well!" said the turtle, "I just realized this when I opened my eyes. The passing of days is quite quick. Isn't it, Lulu? Yes, Lulu. It's nothing to be surprised at. Although my eyes were closed in sleep, I still see everything that occurs in this ocean…"

Lulu didn't respond.

 _'_ _I don't blame her. I wasn't expecting the giant turtle either.'_

"Hmm…It seems Lulu is confused. Regrettably, there is no time for idle conversation. Now then, proud Zora warrior…"

 _'_ _I guess I am technically a Zora.'_

"The open seas of Great Bay have need of your might. Quickly, Climb onto my back."

And thus, I rode the turtle to the Great Bay Temple.

* * *

It looked more like the inner workings of a machine than a temple. There were different-colored pipes constructed within large bodies of water that led to a gigantic room with a mechanism that shaped a fast and almost unmanageable whirlpool.

Swimming in that whirling water was incredibly dizzying and disorienting. As easy as the Zora mask made swimming, the water seemed to have a mind of its' own, pulling me into narrow channels and unavoidable enemies. It was nearly two days, but the time spent there activating pipes of water, swimming past deadly dexihands and skullfish, dodging Wart's glaringly disgusting eye, and changing the direction of the currents felt like it would last forever.

The gargantuan masked fish, called Gyorg, was a massive red and tan fish with horrifyingly large spikes, ripped fins, sharp teeth, and green eyes.

He was surprisingly easy to damage, as he was susceptible to the Zora's electrical power, yet being in the water with that huge fish and his tiny minions was incredibly dangerous.

Before long, and after being eaten and spat out by Gyorg a couple times, I defeated the large fish.

The gargantuan fish jumped out of the water onto the circular platform, splashing me as he landed. He decreased in size with each pathetic flail of his body as he died in front of me.

I was once again carried to another realm at the touch of the monsters' remains and noticed that I was surrounded in a calm, light blue.

Past the blue waterfalls and the cloudy mist was another orange giant, just like the other two.

"Hey, listen. We want you to lend us your power!" exclaimed Tatl, "If you just leave things as they are, something terrible will happen to this world. Surely you're the only ones who can stop it. That's what Tael was trying to tell us!"

The giant began to speak slowly.

"Help our friend."

"I get it. We have to help the last one," replied Tatl, "then promise us this…You'll cooperate with us…"

He didn't respond.

As the fairy and I were transported back to the crashing tides and the hot sands of the beach, we had frustration in our thoughts.

' _How could they not promise to save this world? How could they not be aware of the consequences of their inaction?'_

We didn't know then that the giant wasn't referring to the giant we hadn't freed yet.

He was referring to the Skull Kid.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Yeah, couldn't avoid doing the song: kind of important to the plot and Mikau's death.**

 **The story definitely will get more interesting as it develops from here, as some of you may know.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading this far! I really appreciate it! This chapter is one of my personal favorites so I hope you enjoy it.**

 **Warning: This chapter is heavy with themes of death and existentialism, as well being one of the longest I've written. If anything about these things is uncomfortable to you, please do not feel pressured to keep reading. I love what I have done with Ikana Canyon in this chapter, but I just wanted to put out a warning in case those dark themes make you uneasy.**

* * *

Woodfall was populous with life, plants, animals, critters, creatures. Even Snowhead and Great Bay had smatterings of trees, remnants of being, and small reminders of Hyrule.

Ikana simply ached of death. A certain smell in the air, an ominous atmosphere, an unshakable feeling that the end of life was not only prevalent, but continuous.

I walked the dirt path of a dismal graveyard, leading me to an odd structure with a wooden door to the left and a large skeleton to the right.

The plaque next to the lifeless skeleton read:

 _'_ _Ye who awaken me, battle me. Then shall I extinguish the furious flame'_

Acting on instinct, I took out my ocarina and played the 'Sonata of Awakening'.

The large skeleton soon awakened, breaking the structure as it stood up.

' _What was I thinking? I can't fight something this huge! And it's already dead!'_

The skeleton started to walk up the hill. I caught up to him and swung my sword, damaging him until he leapt into the air and sat down.

"Wait!" he exclaimed, "It is my loss! Sheathe your weapon…"

I did as he said.

"Follow me."

I followed him back to the structure, only now I was on top of it and he was standing in the hole he made, facing me.

"I commanded the Ikana Army of Ikana Kingdom atop the hill. I am called Skull Keeta. Since being shamed by loss in a battle within my kingdom…I have waited here for one to come and awaken my soul. Young swordsman who has awakened and deftly defeated me…I shall rely on your power to fulfill my request. I ask you to take my soul, which rests in the fiercely burning flame…And convey my words to my men who, even in death, remain loyal to me. Tell them the war has ended…Then I shall be able to drift quietly into sleep…"

My eyes had been filled with a deep sadness and regard for the skeleton.

"Captain sir!" Captain Keeta said as he saluted me.

 _'_ _He…he's regarding me as his captain…I…I…'_

"May I take leave sir?"

 _'_ _I can't explain it…but…although we just met…I feel a kinship…a bond. His glowing, orange eyes seem to somehow connect to the sad blue eyes through which I am seeing the last deed of a dying warrior…to pass his unexpected amount of life to me…his hopes…his goals…his trusting promise to the world that had pronounced him deceased.'_

I saluted him back with a look of assurance.

"Yes, sir!" replied the captain before he disintegrated away into nothing.

I just stood there for a moment, rendered speechless, thoughtless even, by an unexplainable empathy and an unmistakeable sadness.

* * *

I had made my way through an underground cave to a strange room with multicolored patterns and a dark red curtain. The curtain rose to reveal a large stone with etchings below a symbol resembling a Keese. The stone was enshrouded in an ocean blue and I heard a voice.

"Are you the one who freed my soul?"

A Poe suddenly appeared from nowhere, spinning above the revealed stone.

"I served the Ikana Royal family. I am the composer called Flat. The songs connected to the Royal Family that remain here were all composed by my brother and I. Oh…Sharp, my dear brother. He sold his soul to the devil and was the one who locked me in here…"

I soon discovered that the sad eyes that regarded the sorrow and anguish of the deceased would be a common reaction in this canyon of dead souls.

 _'_ _This compelling empathy I feel…is it just because I am not afraid of those who have passed on…or is it something more?'_

"You who do not fear the dead, learn well the song that is inscribed behind me…And if you ever meet my brother, I'd like you to inform him…The thousand years of raindrops summoned by my song are my tears. The thunder that strikes the earth is my anger!"

Flat paused as if he wanted to say something else, yet decided not to.

"…I have made my request," said the Poe before disappearing.

My eyes started to water.

 _'_ _He is dead, the skeleton was too, yet…those souls…they still felt sad, they were still filled with regrets…'_

 _'_ _What does death really mean? Are the ends of our lives measured by the destruction of the physical body, or is it rather measured by the demoralization of spirit, the discontinuation of a feeling, the loss of optimism…'_

 _'_ _No…this burning anguish…this continuous dissatisfaction…it's too powerful to not outlive the grasp of death. I have proof of that now…they both had regrets…'_

 _'_ _Heartache really must be so immortal, so sorely painful, to transcend this existence that we call life, crawling past any gathering of hope, festering for eternity.'_

 _'_ _It is the great punishment of us all to have to live and die with our regrets. So physical death is simply a means to an end. After every misdeed, every slight step out of one's own established morality, every thought that strays from happiness, every aspect of ourselves that we've come to despise, every moment in our lives that made us question what we really deserve…death is certainly inevitable.'_

 _'_ _As the hero…as someone who has avoided this final exit time and time again…Will I die when my body decomposes, or will I die when my legacy is forgotten, when my name means nothing…'_

 _'_ _Will my regrets outlive me, too?'_

I stepped in front of the stone and relearned the 'Song of Storms'. A familiar melody, a type of familiar that was welcomed, especially at that time.

* * *

After journeying through Ikana Canyon, I found a small cave with stalactites that dipped into a misty purple fog.  
"What business have you in Ikana Kingdom, land where only the dead roam?" I heard an echoing voice say.

A Poe, much like the one before, yet slightly different, suddenly appeared before me, spinning until facing me.

"This is no place for one as full of life as you."

 _'_ _Yes, I am still alive. I need to remember that.'_

"Or do you say that you wish to join the dead?"

 _'_ _No! Goddesses, no!'_

 _"_ That is fine…If that is the case, then sleep gently to the melody of darkness that the great composer, Sharp, shall play…and join the ranks of the dead."

 _'_ _NOW WOULD BE THE TIME TO SAY ANYTHING'_

But I couldn't. I was rendered speechless by an overwhelming pain that seemed to seep the very life out of me.

 _'_ _The…song…play…the…song…'_ I thought to myself with great difficulty, as I was distracted by the deathly pain.

I struggled to pull out my ocarina as my vision went hazy and just as it started to fade out, I was able to play the simple, yet crucial melody of the 'Song of Storms'.

The pain stopped.

"W-What is this?…This song?…N-No, it can be. This song…"

Sharp began to spin around ferociously as the purple hued cave transitioned into shades of yellow and green. The hole in the middle filled up with water, resulting in it flowing outside the cave as a source of water for Ikana Canyon.

Sharp appeared again above the now rippling waters.

"Flat, my dear brother. Forgive your foolish brother who dreamt of the revival of the Royal Family…Ye who do not fear the dead…With my brother's song, you have broken the curse that was placed upon me. It is all thanks to you. We dead should not be lingering here in this land. It was all a trick of the masked one who had upset things."

' _Oh'_

"If you truly do not fear the dead…I wish for you to go to the temple in this land and sever the root of the evil curse that torments us. To do that…I, the only one who knows the way into the temple, shall direct you to the King. The King is in the ruins of Ikana Castle, awaiting the coming of the one who will break the curse."

Sharp paused, just like his brother.

 _'_ _What did they want to say to me that they refrained from?'_

"…I have made my final request," said the poe before disappearing.

 _'_ _A broken soul…'_ I thought to myself as I exited the cave.

* * *

The bright sunlight shone on an ancient throne room. It was very large, with a haunting similarity to the regality of Hyrule Castle. The stone walls were painted with different shapes and patterns, like the rest of Ikana Castle.

Once I had reached the center of the room, I felt the ground beneath my boots shake vigorously.

I soon heard a deep voice.

"Oh insolent one who has brought the unthinkable into a land as dark as Ikana…"

The shining light that poured through the windows was now being darkened by old, ripped curtains.

"My servants have fallen namelessly before the light that guides you. However…"

My focus was pulled to a resplendent Stalfos, a skeleton warrior, who now sat at a golden throne.

"The darkness in which my servants live is, after all, fleeting," the Stalfos said as two more Stalfos entered to stand on either side of his throne.

"You shall see with your own eyes…"

The Stalfos king stood up from his throne and said,

"…just what kind of thing true darkness really is."

The three Stalfos shook their heads in laughter, swinging their burning red eyes from side to side, taunting me, my presence, my existence.

 _'_ _That middle one has green eyes…strange…I thought Stalfos only had red-'_

 _'_ _Whoa! No time to think about that,'_ I thought to myself, as the two smaller Stalfos had now engaged me in battle. I unsheathed my sword and shield.

I pulled out my fire arrows, which burned the curtains, bringing the light back to the dark room. This made it easier for me to damage the two Stalfos, as they were quite susceptible to light.

In reaction to me killing both of his soldiers, the king promptly stood up, challenging me himself with an enormous green blade and a square golden shield with a turquoise rim.

After many instances of dodging that massive sword and maneuvering his strategy to find my own avenues for attack, I subjected him to the bright light, searing his skeletal frame.

A floating skull of one of the soldiers soon appeared before me, surrounded in a purple mist. I sheathed my sword.

The second soldiers' floating skull knocked the other aside and said,

"You're blocking me! Get out of the way! I can still get him!"

 _'_ _Can you now?'_

"B-blocking you?!," the first skull said, "the reason he beat us is because you were so feeble! Don't blame this on me!"

"What?! Just try saying that again to my bony face!"

"Feeble! Feeble! Feeble! Feeble! Feeble! Feeble! Feeble! Feeble! Feeble! Feeble! Feeble! Feeble! Feeble!"

"Shut up, already! Grrrr! Don't look at me, I was once called the best swordsman in all of Ikana…"

"The greatest swordsman in all of Ikana? You? Feeeeeeeeble."

"…Draw your weapon!"

 _'_ _Umm…guys…'_

"Huh?"

"I'm telling you to draw your sword!"

The first skull paused.

"How?"

The two skulls laughed at each other with a distinct hilarity.

"Will you stop?!," exclaimed the floating head of the King, who had come up behind them.

"What fools! Haven't you begun to understand? The kingdom being ruined and us left in this state…Isn't it petty little battles like this that have caused it?"

My attentive, blank stare turned into a sad gaze.

The two floating heads of the soldiers burned away in blue flames.

"Believing in your friends and embracing your belief by forgiving failure…These feelings have vanished from our hearts."

' _I know I am alive, but am I so unlike these Stalfos? Warriors, under royal decree, who sacrificed themselves for the well-being of their kingdom. Proving their loyalty by fighting across eons of time, even past the constraints of death, just to protect Ikana. Yes, they had their faults, their inability to see to the importance of forgiveness destroyed their kingdom. Yet, had I not struggled with the same thing? I still regret not telling Zelda not to send me back seven years. I must admit that deep down, I haven't truly forgiven her. Have I not learned that regret is meant to stay with me forever?'_

 _'_ _The empathy I now feel, with Captain Keeta, with the Composer Brothers, with these Stalfos, even with the Skull Kid. We all are broken souls. Broken by how the world has treated us, broken by our attachments, broken by our temptations, broken by even our own heroism and, yes, even our own courage.'_

 _'_ _These things have broken our souls, our very sense of morality. Our perception of right and wrong has been skewed and we have become oblivious to the change.'_

 _'_ _What will become of me…if I'm not dead yet…if there is, in fact, still life within me…'_

 _'_ _What will become of me when my morals become so misaligned and my vision is so inevitably clouded by denial, anger, bargaining, and depression…Maybe I just need to accept the inevitability of such an outcome…Maybe it wasn't my destiny to lose everything…Maybe I just need to accept that it is my destiny to lose myself…'_

"It all happened after somebody thrust open the doors of that Stone Tower."

The Stalfos' words brought me back to the regal throne room and the daunting responsibility I had to save the world.

"You who bring light into darkness, I am the King of Ikana Kingdom, Igos du Ikana. The spellbinding that had been cast upon us was broken by that light which you carry. To return true light to this land, you must seal the doors of Stone Tower where the winds of darkness blow through. But Stone Tower is an impenetrable stronghold. Hundreds of soldiers from my kingdom would not even be able to topple it. It is far too reckless for one to take on such a challenge."

' _Then…'_

"…And so…I grant to you a soldier who has no heart. One who will not falter in the darkness. You shall remember this song!"

It was a haunting melody entitled 'Elegy of Emptiness' and filled me with a dizzying feeling of unsteadiness and uncertainty.

I soon began to realize that I really was dizzy and lightheaded. I walked forward out of instinct and was surprised to find behind me, well, myself. I couldn't stop staring at its' blank expression.

' _Is that really me?'_

"This soldier who has no heart is your twin image. A shell of yourself that you will shed when your song commands it."

The floating skull of the King of Ikana erupted into blue flames, prompting me to look behind at where the skull was just floating.

"On my kingdom," I heard, "…shine the light of justice…"

I looked back at my copy.

 _'_ _This is me, yet it isn't…'_

 _'_ _For now, I must remember that I do have substance. I have a soul, a heart, a life…'_

* * *

Stone Tower Temple, the epitome of Ikana kingdom's downfall, was the remnant of a once proud fortress. It was riddled with an ancient destiny, yet clearly had been part of a culture, part of the folklore of a civilization that was now dead, forgotten to the world. The temple had life and hope seeped away from it long ago, so all that was left was creatures of darkness and destruction.

The temple itself, aside from a few odd architectural decisions from the original constructors, was fairly straightforward to navigate when I was there the first day.

* * *

As I was standing outside the temple entrance with one of my newly acquired light arrows cocked at the ready and aimed at a large red emblem, my thoughts repeated the Garo Masters' words.

 _'_ _If you shoot that which releases the sacred golden light into the blood-stained, red emblem outside the temple…it shall rearrange things, in which the earth is born in the heavens and the moon is born on the earth.'_

 _'_ _But…what does that mean? What will I do to this world? Will it be worse than what the Skull Kid has done?'_

"What are you doing?," Tatl chimed, "we don't have time for hesitation! Stop being lazy and get on with it!"

I shot the light arrow into the red emblem.

 _'_ _Now what? What will…'_

Suddenly the block I was standing on flipped upside down, forcing me to fall to what I assumed was the ground below.

Somehow, I instead fell on the other side of not just the block I was standing on, but the other side of the temple, the other side of the world.

 _'_ _Wasn't expecting that…I turned everything…upside down…'_

* * *

After that, the upside down chests and the upside down doors that I had eyed suspiciously just hours ago, now made sense. I was glad that I had restarted the three-day cycle before I came to Ikana, as the whole ordeal took up almost all of it.

I eventually made my way through complex chambers and against hostile enemies to a room with a large hole in the ground, which was once the ceiling.

I leapt into the hole and landed in a large desert with stone pillars peeking out of dusty winds.

I looked around as the ground started to shake and soon saw two huge worm-like creatures emerge out of the sands.

The pair of giant masked insects were known as Twinmold.

"Link!" Tatl exclaimed, "That mask you just got! This area should be big enough! Try it out for size!"

As I put on the giant's mask, I watched the surrounding desert get smaller, or, perhaps was I getting larger.

It would have been a pathetic attempt to defeat them on my part if it weren't for the giant's mask. It only took a few slices of my sword for each insects body to explode, leaving their heads in the sand.

Their final remains, a small mask covered in a blue light, led me to the final giant.

This realm was tinted a hushed yellow and bright golden clouds revealed the fourth orange gargantuan figure.

"Well, we've helped all of you," said Tatl, "That's all we can do"

"Call us," the giant pronounced.

"Without being told, we understand. So now you'll help us out in exchange! We'll call you from atop the Clock Tower, so do something about him, all right?"

The giant cried out an indistinguishable word.

"What? Their voices sound sad…You don't want to?"

A white light encompassed our vision as we heard "Forgive your friend."

"Forgive our friend?" Tatl asked, "What do you mean by forgive? Huh? What friend?"

 _'_ _Forgive our friend…'_

 _'_ _There are many who I had yet to truly forgive…Navi…Zelda…the Skull Kid…'_

 _'_ _Was…was he their friend…do they truly forgive him? After all he has done?'_

We landed back in Ikana Canyon and watched as a deep purple chasm appeared in the sky.

 _'_ _Are the spirits now free of their curse? Am I?'_

 _'_ _No…I will be forgotten…it is inevitable that I will be a forgotten hero…that I will lose myself…that I will become my regrets…'_

 _'_ _I've accepted that to be my future, yet…'_

I looked up at the monstrous moon.

 _'…_ _all that matters now is saving this world, no matter what. I must not falter. I must put all of my focus and all of my goddess-given courage into stopping that moon from falling.'_


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: So I don't normally say anything about what music to listen to but for this chapter I highly recommend "Final Hours" from Majora's Mask. It plays during the last six hours of the three-day cycle and the mood it creates just fits so well. Koji Kondo always goes above and beyond to really immerse the player in the story.**

 **Give it a listen, or don't, it's just a suggestion.**

 **Otherwise, keep reading! I'm really excited for you guys to continue!**

 **Warning: There are still themes of death and existentialism in this chapter as well as violent/gory images.**

* * *

There I was, back in those final hours. Back in the toxic despair, the darkened atmosphere, the foreboding destruction.

The moon was only hours from destroying the world, and even inside the Stock Pot Inn, the shaking ground was a stark reminder that in a couple hours we would find out if the giants really would keep their word or if all of this has been for nothing.

Until then, I was witness to a wedding.

In a town that was now devoid of life, devoid of hope, there stood before me two people with love in their eyes. Even at that moment, as I watched them stay with each other, knowing quite well the possibility that it could be their last, that the moon could drop and destroy them at any second, they clung to their love. Anju, a young woman who was willing to wait for her true love to return, even in the face of death, and Kafei, a man who had been turned into a child, yet had risked his life for her happiness, just to keep his promise to her.

 _'_ _Was this not a familiar tale? Had I not lived through this exact same thing? I risked my life for her, I saved her, I loved her…I've…'_

 _'_ _I've tried to keep my promise to her…'_

I started to walk out of the Stock Pot Inn towards the Clock Tower.

 _'_ _No, it isn't the same thing. She isn't waiting for me. She wouldn't risk the uncertainty of death just to see me again. No matter how much I want to see her, embrace her, kiss her…marry her…'_

I felt a tear roll down my cheek.

 _'_ _No matter how much I love her, she would never love me back.'_

I was now stopped at the foot of the stairs that would lead me to the Skull Kid, to my destiny, to my one chance to save this world. I bowed my head and closed my eyes.

 _'_ _Oh…dear Princess Zelda…'_

 _'_ _I hope you are safe. I hope you are happy…'_

 _'_ _The goddesses know that I won't be.'_

* * *

There he was, floating below that moon, so proud of what he has subjected this world to.

"Sis!", exclaimed Tael.

"…Tael!," Tatl responded.

The purple fairy came forward as he did before.

"Swamp. Mountain. Ocean. Canyon. Hurry…The four who are there…Bring them here…"

The skull kid knocked Tael aside saying,

"Don't speak out of line! Stupid fairy!"

"That's it! I won't let things go the way you expect them to!," said Tatl.

"…Well, whatever. Even if they were to come now they wouldn't be able to handle me…Hee, hee. Just look above you…If it's something that can be stopped, then just try to stop it!"

 _'_ _I will do more than try.'_

The skull kid screamed and produced a cascading wave of dark magic, pulling the moon down even faster.

I quickly took out my ocarina and played 'Oath to the Order'.

 _'_ _I really hope those giants come…'_

The earth started to shake and the giants' groan was heard over yonder.

The skull kid looked from side to side with apprehension before shaking his head with his hands behind the mask and screaming out in anguish.

I breathed a sigh of relief as four orange giants appeared around Clock Town and extended their arms to stall the rapid descent of the falling moon.

The skull kid had passed out and was now lying on the ground in front of us. We were all below a now immobile moon.

"It…It stopped," said Tatl, "We did it! It stopped!"

"Sis!", Tael exclaimed as the two fairies circled around each other.

"Tael!", Tatl exclaimed, prompting me to smile at the sight of their happy faces.

The two stopped and faced each other for Tatl to say,

"Good…We made it in time. The giants' call worked on the Skull Kid."

Tatl turned towards the Skull Kid.

"Hey, Skull Kid! Do you realize what you've been doing to everyone?!"

"Wait…Sis…Don't…Don't be so hard on the Skull Kid."

"Tael! Why are you protecting him! Aren't you mad at him for hitting you so much?"

"He was lonely…the Skull Kid."

"He was trying to destroy everything around him! That is not the same as a lonely child! We can't allow that!"

"The power of the mask made him do it. It was too much for the Skull Kid to handle."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Skull Kid start to twitch.

 _'_ _Uhh…guys…'_

"It's because he doesn't know his place! On top of having a weak will and no strength of heart…he's a fool!"

"Certainly, he had far too many weaknesses to use my power," said a deep voice.

"Yeah! That's right! Admit your stupidity!"

"Tatl…" I whispered.

"Huh?", Tatl retorted as she looked over to see the Skull Kid float up again, yet he was oddly…lifeless.

"A puppet that can no longer be used is mere garbage."

The deep voice seemed to be coming from the mask itself, who dropped the Skull Kid on the floor and remained floating in the air.

"This puppet's role has just ended…"

"It can't be!", exclaimed Tael, "Then that moon?"

I watched as the mask was then pulled up into the moon by a red flame.

The moon's eyes glowed a startlingly bright orange and said in a booming voice,

"I…I shall consume. Consume…Consume…everything."

The moon started to fall again and the giants struggled to keep it upward.

"Waahhhhh! This isn't good! Let's go back! Let's go back! Hurry! The Song of Time! The Song of Time!"

 _'_ _No…it can't have all been for nothing. This isn't over yet. I have to fix this.'_

I looked at the red flames.

"Aw, no…You've got to be kidding. Don't tell me you're going up there…"

"You know I have to, Tatl," I said.

"I won't do it! You go by yourself! I'm staying here with Tael."

"I'll go," said Tael.

"What?! What are you saying, Tael? Is something wrong with you?", asked Tatl.

"I don't always want to be running away! If only I had been stronger, the Skull Kid would't have…"

The two fairies exchanged concerned looks.

"I understand. I'll go! After all this time, Tael, you've gotten really stubborn…Just like someone else I know…You know, you guys are really stupid…"

' _This isn't really the time for insults…'_ I thought to myself as Tatl and I ran to the red flame.

The momentum flew us into the moon. I was tossed by the thrust of its' energy and began to fall…upside-down.

I landed in a bright green meadow with a yellow sun shining among a blue sky. The sun shone upon four children frolicking around a large, plentiful tree.

 _'_ _Uh…'_

 _'_ _What in the…'_

 _'_ _Moon?'_

 _'_ _Is this really the inside of…the moon?'_

* * *

Those four kids.

The questions they asked me.

My mind repeated them as I walked towards the final child, the fifth child, who was sitting at the bottom tree, who I had somehow missed before.

 _'_ _Your friends…what kind of…people are they? I wonder…Do those people…think of you…as a friend?'_

 _'_ _My friends…Saria, Navi, Zelda, Tatl…they are good people, wise people, caring people…but…would they regard me as their friend? I know Saria would…we'd known each other for years. It's the same with Navi and Tatl…we've been through so much together…we had grown up together…faced danger together…built our friendship…but Zelda…we'd only known each other a few days…I know she doesn't love me, but…were we even friends, does she even remember me? My name? What was I to her?…Zelda…the Princess Zelda…the Zelda I fell in love with…what did she think of me before sending me back in time? It certainly felt like friendship. A deep concern for each other, an ardent desire for the other to be happy, and unbreakable kinship…but since she did send me back…I must have made it all up in my head…'_

 _'_ _You…what makes you…happy? I wonder…what makes you happy…Does it make…others happy, too?'_

 _'_ _I don't know…I've never been able to consider my own happiness before…I could never afford to pursue it…I guess…I've always found happiness in…friendship, actually…I've always valued friendship. It has its' own reward and it's something that lasts longer than any material desire. Thinking of the small moments of friendship that I have had…it makes me happy. I honestly don't know if any of my friends feel the same way, but…I do know that I am not alone in the world when I believe that friendship is something be treasured.'_

 _'_ _The right thing…What is it? I wonder…If you do the right thing…Does it really make…everybody happy?'_

 _'_ _Morality…my perception of what is right and what is wrong…saving Hyrule, saving Termina…I always thought it the right thing to do…sacrificing my life for so many others…was that not noble?…was that not right?…I guess I never considered it to be wrong because it seemed to make everybody happy but me…and that was fine…but…What about Ganondorf? What about the Skull Kid? What about Majora's Mask? If I have clearly seen that the world is cruel to everyone, then don't they also deserve happiness…was I right to deny that to them because their morals were different from my own…our own morality changes so much without us even noticing…who am I to say that I am in any way…morally superior…'_

 _'_ _Your true face…what kind of…face is it? I wonder…The face under the mask…Is that…your true face?'_

I stopped my trailing thoughts, as I now stood right in front of the fifth child.

The other children had the masks of the four bosses that I had defeated, yet this one wore Majora's Mask itself.

"…Everyone has gone away, haven't they? Will you play with me?"

 _'_ _Maybe this is my chance, my opportunity to see through the perspective of someone who I thought to be different.'_

"Yes," I replied.

"You don't have any masks left, do you?"

' _Oh no, I guess I don't.'_

"I'm sor-"

"Well, let's do something else," the child said, interrupting me, "let's play good guys against bad guys…Yes. Let's play that."

 _'_ _Interesting…'_

The child handed me a new mask.

It was me, or rather, me when I was an adult. The face resembled myself as the Hero of Time, yet the eyes were blackened and the face was painted with red and blue lines. My swooping, blonde hair had turned to a stormy gray and it looked as if a light blue cap rested where my green cap does.

I couldn't stop staring into the black eyes of that mask.

 _'Is_ _this supposed to be me?'_

"Are you ready? You're the bad guy. And when you're bad, you just run. That's fine, right? Well…Shall we play?"

* * *

"Link!"

I was still staring at the mask and I hadn't even realized that I had been transported somewhere else.

 _'_ _Am I really the bad guy?'_

"Link! Snap out of it!"

 _'_ _Is that what I have become?'_

 _'_ _Have I changed that much?'_

Tatl hit me.

"Link! Come on! Listen to me! You're not the bad guy! He is! He's just messing with you!"

 _'_ _Is this…my true face?'_

Tatl flew in front of the mask to make sure I would hear.

"Link, we need to save Termina from his wrath. We need to save the world."

I furrowed my eyebrows and put the Fierce Deity Mask away, looking up at what was around me.

 _'_ _She's right…I need to do this.'_

It was extremely colorful, with shades of green, blue, pink, purple, yellow, and red, as if Majora's Mask itself had become a room. The walls were sectioned, yet they looked more like cloud formations than any solid matter.

As soon as I took a step, the remains of the four bosses I defeated placed themselves on different walls, fitting as appropriately as if they were always meant to sit there.

But on the main wall, the one that glowed dark blue and was patterned with lines and shapes floated Majora's Mask. Although it had grown to twice the size of myself, I knew I had to defeat it, no matter what.

The cursed mask took many gruesome forms in the effort to win at his game. After growing horrendous red tentacles, the horrifying mask became the torso of a morbid, blood red body and, finally, became the incarnation of Majora, with appalling screams, a bulged, gushing musculature and gory whips for hands, intent on inflicting his wrath.

I could feel my heart pounding more intensely with every sign of weakness I showed, every slap of that agonizing whip, every gash on my blood-tainted skin, every bruise from falling to the ground, every thud of my head, but I was still alive.

I survived on pure courage and pure determination to not let the undeniably agonizing wounds get the better of me.

I knew I had to survive, no matter how much blood was spilled, no matter how close my physical body fatigued and heard the murmurs of death's call, I had to survive long enough to destroy that mask.

' _As long I'm still alive, I will do anything to save the world from this monster. I don't care if I'm the bad guy or the good guy. This is what I need to do.'_

With one final swing of my sword, the terrifying horror of cursed flesh writhed in pain and crumbled into dust, destroyed by a shining light that blinded me.


	13. Chapter 13

I came to and saw two fairies floating above me.

"Aah! He's awake!", said the yellow fairy.

I sat up and shook my head to get over the shock until I saw him.

The Skull Kid was standing just a few feet away from me, looking up at the four giants.

When I followed his gaze, I found the sky without a frightening moon, without a reminder that I was responsible to save the world, prompting me to stand up.

 _'_ _It's over.'_

I breathed a sigh of relief and looked back at the Skull Kid.

 _'_ _Perhaps he really was just a vessel for evil after all…He's probably just like any other skull kid I've met…'_

"You guys…You hadn't forgotten about me?", the Skull Kid said to the giants. He bowed his head and continued,

"You still thought of me as a friend?"

The two fairies flew over to the Skull Kid as the giants walked off to their respective lands.

Once they had left, the Skull Kid looked up and faced me.

"Did you…Did you save me?"

The Skull Kid paused and turned his head.

"I thought they didn't want to be friends with me…But…They hadn't forgotten about me…Friends are a nice thing to have…Heh, heh."

Looking back at me, he asked,

"Could you be my friend, too?"

 _'_ _He really is just a child…'_ I thought as he waddled closer to me and sniffed me.

"Eh-hee-hee…You have the same smell as the fairy kid who taught me that song in the woods…"

' _That might have actually been me…but how did he remember?'_

"I know, I know! Let's do something!"

"Oh…So the evil has left the mask after all…", said the Happy Mask Salesman, who pulled our focus.

 _'_ _Again, where did he even come from?'_

"Well, now…I finally have it back. Since I am in the midst of my travels…I must bid you farewell."

The mask salesman started to leave before he turned around to face me.

"Shouldn't you be returning home as well?"

' _Home…even if I went back to Hyrule, where would I go? What felt right? Kokiri Forest? Hyrule Castle?'_

"Whenever there is a meeting, a parting is sure to follow. However, that parting need not last forever…Whether a parting be forever or merely for a short time…That is up to you. With that, please excuse me…But, my, you sure have managed to make quite a number of people happy. The masks you have are filled with happiness. This is truly a good happiness."

The salesman started to walk away and then suddenly disappeared. My mind was so occupied with thought that I hadn't even noticed the oddity of a man just fading out of existence.

' _Whether a parting be forever or merely for a short time…That is up to you…I haven't found Navi yet…so I should keep looking…right?'_

"Well, both of us have gotten what we were after…So this is where you and I part ways, isn't it?"

 _'_ _Yeah, I guess it is.'_

"You know it was kind of fun."

I smiled at my friend.

"Well…it's almost time for the carnival to begin…So, why don't you just leave and go about your business? The rest of us have a carnival to go to."

' _It really is time that I go.'_

I nodded and mounted Epona, riding off and away from the land of Termina.

* * *

' _Here I am, the Hero of Termina…but…would anyone remember what had happened…that I had saved their world…'_

 _'_ _I am meant to be forgotten…of course they wouldn't remember but…'_

Riding through the woods, I came across a clearing with a solitary cut tree trunk. I stopped Epona in front of it, dismounted, and unsheathed my sword.

 _'_ _A memento…of my adventures…of the friendships made…so that even when no one remembered, they could still see that something happened here…'_

 _'…_ _something good…'_ I thought to myself as I kneeled down and carved an image into the base of the trunk.

The Skull Kid and I, with two fairies between us and four giants behind us, all smiling and waving, to welcome any viewer into the friendships that were made.

I stood back up, sheathed my sword, and nodded

' _This is fitting…this feels right,'_ I thought as a smile stretched across my lips.

Yet, the smile faded as another thought entered my mind,

 _'_ _Would this be my life as the forgotten hero, grasping at the remnants of my fading memories, denying the true nature of being misremembered…'_

 _'_ _There's no point in this, really…forcing someone else to recall a memory they never had…'_

 _'_ _That's why I need to find Navi…she would remember me as the man I used to be…the man no one knew…the Hero of Time…'_

 _'_ _I've looked through the mazes of endless forests and through the ends of the world itself, but had I considered that she may have simply been somewhere else…somewhere I've been avoiding…'_

 _'_ _That Happy Mask Salesman said it was time for me to go home and I think he was right…'_

 _'_ _Somewhere, in the back of my mind and the depths of my heart, I knew I should've looked there…Why hadn't I before? Was I too busy playing at being a hero? Tricking myself into thinking that I was the good guy? Kidding myself that I was noble…brave…honorable…charitable by leaving Hyrule to peace? The answer was always right in front of me. Of course Navi was there…I just needed to indulge my true instincts…'_

 _'_ _The world doesn't need me to be selfless anymore, anyway.'_

 _'_ _This desire to be selfish…it's wrong, I know…and I know that I won't be a hero anymore if I indulge this, but, was I really a hero before?'_

 _'_ _I did what I was told, like a child…but I am no child anymore.'_

I mounted Epona and started riding towards Hyrule.

 _'_ _I need to find Navi, for closure, for myself, before I truly accept myself as the forgotten hero…'_


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: Thank you again for making it to this point. I really hope you've enjoyed the story so far. Chapters 14-21 are post-Majora's Mask, so all the in-game cutscenes are finished. The rest of the story is where I got to take some liberties, while still keeping to canon as much as possible.**

* * *

It was familiar, natural, a sight too recognizable.

 _'_ _Hyrule Field in all its' majesty…I'm back…I actually made it back…alive…'_

I looked over at Hyrule Castle in the distance with a longing gaze.

 _'_ _I will see her again. It seems so much more possible now. I'm quite pleased that it's unquestionable that I will see her again, that I will be able to make sure that she is safe, that I can show her that I kept my promise…but…'_

 _'_ _I need to see her again when my inner demons have left me, when I can finally get closure on not being remembered as the hero, when I've been able to say goodbye to Navi, goodbye to my past, and focus on my future…with Zelda…'_

* * *

Although I was comforted by what I saw, deep green patches of grass, wooden Kokiri huts, the ethereal lighting of the forest, the nostalgia-ridden smells of the woods, I couldn't shake a feeling of apprehension.

' _Everything will be fine,'_ I thought to myself as I took a deep breath and dismounted my horse.

I started to climb up the green vines and stood in front of the hollowed-out tree, staring into it's mesmerizing empty darkness.

 _'_ _It's only the Lost Woods, I know the way through. I've done it multiple times. Right, left, right, left, straight, left, right. I'll just go in and find her. I have this feeling…I…I just know she's in there…she has to be…'_

"Link?"

Startled, I turned around quickly to find a young girl clothed in green with blue eyes, green hair, and a pink fairy floating above her.

I exhaled out of relief and said, "Saria…"

Saria smiled.

"Link! It really is you! You'd been gone for so long that I'd…"

Saria stopped herself when her eyes met mine. Her smile faded.

"Link…your eyes…they're so…they're so…tortured…Link…Is everything all right? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

I forced a smile, yet Saria's gaze remained concerned.

She was silent for a moment and looked as if she was trying to figure me out.

"Why are you here? You know you can't go into the Lost Woods without a fairy to guide you. You know how dangerous it is."

"I have to find her. I have to make sure."

"Link, what are you talking about? You're not making any sense. Who do you have to find? Come on, you know it's too dangerous. I'm sorry, but, you don't have a fairy, you never have. It's okay though, we can play together…like we used to."

"I'm not a child anymore, Saria!"

Saria was taken aback by the volume my voice had raised and my angry expression.

"You have absolutely no idea what I've been through! You could never understand!" I yelled, my voice almost breaking.

As soon as I stopped, I stepped back in astonishment of myself, of what I had done.

"Link…" Saria said with a bowed head.

"I'm sorry, Saria. I really am."

"I…I guess I don't know you as well as I thought I did…"

Saria looked back up at me with sad eyes and asked,

"Are we still friends, Link?"

"Of course, Saria. We'll always be friends…I just…this is something I have to do…"

"At least let me help you…I can try to guide you throu-"

"No," I didn't want to interrupt her but I needed to make her understand.

"No, Saria. I have to do this alone. Everything will be fine…I…I know what I'm doing."

 _'_ _But do I?'_

Saria walked towards me and clasped her right hand into my left. She gave it a squeeze as she said,

"Please be safe, Link"

She let go of my hand and I entered the Lost Woods.

* * *

 _'_ _I know this place…there's nothing to worry about, except…'_

Something was different from the last time I had been there.

I heard whispers, voices, mutterings. I tried to focus on the simple words of direction, the simple words that would keep me from getting lost, yet the voices gradually got louder.

 _'_ _Right.'_

"Master Link…"

 _'_ _Left.'_

"Thine is one boy who does not have a fairy."

"You've met with a terrible fate haven't you?"

 _'_ _Right'_

"Your current power would disgrace the proud green of the hero's tunic you wear."

"As you are now, I cannot say whether you are worthy or not."

"No, I'll just beat you within an inch of your life"

 _'_ _Left'_

"Without a fairy, you're not even a real man!"

 _'_ _No'_

"Do you really think you can beat me as I am now? Fool!"

 _'_ _Shut up'_

"Do not think this ends here…The history of light and shadow will be written in blood."

 _'_ _No'_

"I think I'm on the same page as the princess regarding…this boy."

' _Don't listen'_

 _'_ _Straight'_

"An incarnation of my hatred shall ever follow your kind, dooming them to wander a blood-soaked sea of darkness for all time!"

 _'_ _No'_

"Someday when this seal is broken, that is when I will exterminate your descendants. As long as the Triforce of Power is in my hand…"

 _'_ _Don't pay attention.'_

"You be the bad guy, and when you're the bad guy, you just run."

 _'_ _They're just voices in my head'_

"Did you honestly mean to take an ancient and withered power like this and turn it against me?"

 _'_ _They're not real'_

"You must save her, my daughter…"

' _They couldn't be'_

 _'_ _Left'_

"The truth of it is you were late. You were late, and you failed to protect her."

' _No, I saved her'_

"…Link…"

 _'_ _I SAVED HER! SHE'S SAFE!'_

 _"_ I've been waiting for you, Hero of Time"

"Zelda?" I asked to an empty forest.

"Link, promise me you'll be safe, promise me you'll come home safe."

"Zelda, where are you?" I asked again.

"Link, lend us the last of your power…"

"I can hear you so clearly," I said.

"No, no…Link!"

"Zelda!" I exclaimed.

 _'_ _Left'_


	15. Chapter 15

I had entered a chamber with no doors, no windows, no avenue of escape. I looked back at where there had just been a hollowed-out tree, but nothing was there.

 _'_ _How had I gotten here? Was I not just in the Lost Woods? Where is Zelda?'_

It resembled a room I remembered quite well from my travels as the Hero of Time. The shallow water at my feet covered the entire floor and reflected the images above it. The ceiling and the walls were large mirrors, so everything reflected off each other. There was a dead tree in the exact center of room, like the room where I had fought the shadow of myself so long ago, yet none appeared. There was no Zelda either, no Navi, just a million Links looking at each other, looking at a million trees.

I walked cautiously towards the tree.

Suddenly I heard the laugh of a skull kid, prompting me to turn around, unsheathing my sword and shield.

No one was there.

No one was anywhere.

I started to breathe heavily, feeling a substantial panic fray my nerves. My sword and shield slipped out of my hands, clattering to the ground. I placed my right hand on the tree and bowed my head, trying to breath slowly to calm myself down, yet it was no use. My breath only quickened as my heart pounded deafeningly in my chest and my entire body began to shake.

In my weakened state, I sat down at the roots of the tree and leaned my back against the trunk in an attempt to recollect myself.

I looked up, trying to make sense of my devastating powerlessness. My head started to lighten and the mirrored world around me began to spin as an overwhelming dizziness took over me.

I was forced to let my head be supported by the trunk as well.

I just sat there as my vision blurred and I felt my consciousness drift away.

The atmosphere around me turned a deep, blood red hue and I saw appear before me four giant, looming figures. I recognized a masked jungle warrior, a masked mechanical monster, a gargantuan masked fish, and two giant masked insects.

I couldn't fight.

I couldn't walk.

I couldn't stand.

I couldn't move.

I could barely breathe.

I just sat there as I surrendered to their burning, evil eyes and their threatening countenances as they approached me with evil intent.

 _'_ _What do they want from me? Have I not done enough?'_

My heavy eyelids started to slowly open and close, constantly switching my vision between the sight of those four monsters and an abyss of darkness.

 _'_ _This is my end, isn't it? This is what I deserve, after all I've done. I was wrong. I don't deserve friendship, I don't deserve love, I don't deserve happiness, I don't deserve life…I really don't matter anymore. I've served my purpose and now…now it's all over…'_

Yet, the last time before my eyelids closed interminably, I saw a simple forest clearing surrounded by tall trees and lighted by the shining, bright sunlight.

 _'_ _Had I been here all along?'_

It was all darkness after that.

* * *

"It's like I always say, anybody who comes into the forest will be lost. Everybody will become a Stalfos. Everybody, Stalfos…"

"Fado…"

"Well, I'm not wrong, look at him."

"Fado…you know who it is…be respectful…"

"Why? I always told you two he was different from us. This just proves it."

"Mido! Stop it! You know it's more complicated than that."

"Oh yeah? Well, he looks the same as all the others to me. Hmph."

"Saria…if you don't mind me asking…Why didn't you stop him?"

"I…I don't know…I guess I could've tried harder, but he wanted to go alone…some part of me trusted him…some part of me thought he was going to be okay…that he really was a Kokiri just like us…but…"

"I'm so sorry, Saria…"

"Yeah…I'm sorry too…he doesn't deserve this fate…poor…Link…"

"I'll leave you be…to say goodbye…I'll…I'll try to talk some sense into Mido while I'm at it."

"Thank you, Fado"

"Link…it's me, Saria…I know you probably can't hear me right now, but I wanted to say that I'm sorry that I ever let you go. There's a lot of I should have done different in that moment. I need you to know that no matter what you may think, no matter what people will tell you…you're not a monster…you're not a bad guy…you are Link…and you will always be my friend…please remember that…"


	16. Chapter 16

I knew I wasn't dead, yet I didn't quite feel alive, either.

It felt like an eternal darkness.

I would hear smatterings of voices, a conversation here, a couple whisperings there, but everything felt distant.

Somehow, I was conscious for all of it, waiting for the next quiet voice, waiting for anything but darkness, waiting for something about what had happened to just make sense.

It was a long existence of being unaware and being left in the dark, until a sudden loud voice was welcomed by my greedy ears.

"Hero…"

It was still dark, but the voice rang in my ears.

It wasn't just a passing conversation or a couple of skull kids playing around in the distance. This voice was meant for me. It was talking to me.

"Oh past hero…remembered by so few, you were once the chosen one. Yes, you were once the Hero of Time. There is no need for you to introduce yourself, even if you were capable, your noble deeds proceed you."

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Faron. I am the spirit who watches over these woods and all that transpires between its' ancient trees and mysterious groves."

"The time will soon come for you to awaken in your bedeviled form. That is the magic of this forest that I cannot consecrate."

"However, the spirit of the hero still lives within you, and someday you'll find yourself carrying a different destiny because of it."

"Until then, however, I foresee a dangerous path in front of you, so I grant you the gift of protection. You will awaken into a world that will condemn you, yet the resources I give you will defend you from their harm. This is my gift to you."

"The time is nearing. Before I return to the spirit realm, I must tell you."

"Your life, your past, your future. It has been one of burden, of sacrifice, and that life, as hard as it might be to believe, is not over yet."

"There will be another whose life is like yours. There always has been and there always will be."

"You have the protection of the Goddess of Time. I urge you, find a kin in this chosen one. Share your courage. Help him fulfill his own destiny."

"With that I must leave."

"Farewell, Link…Hero of Time…"

* * *

As my vision returned, I saw a skull kid's beaming smile right in my face.

"Hee, hee…Look at you!"

"What?" I replied, still disoriented.

"You look funny."

"Yeah, my funny green outfit, right?"

"Hee, hee, hee, I like the color green…Do you?"

"Of course I do," I replied.

"Hee, hee, hee…okay…can I ask another question?"

"Sure," I said, half awake.

"What's your name?"

"Name?"

"Yeah, your name, what do people call you?"

' _Well, they called me…'_

 _'_ _They called me…'_

 _'_ _What did they call me?'_

 _'_ _Have I seriously forgotten?'_

 _'_ _It shouldn't take this long to answer…'_

 _'_ _It was…'_

 _'_ _It was…'_

"Link…they used to call me Link…"

 _'_ _How could I forget that?'_

"Did people used to call you friend? That's what my friends call me. Can I call you friend?"

"If you like…"

"Okay, bye…friend…"

I watched as the skull kid ran off into the woods.

 _'_ _They really are all children,'_ I thought to myself as I slowly started to wake up and become aware of my surroundings.

I stood up to look around the forest I found myself in,

However, at the sound of a metallic clang of armor, I froze right where I stood.

Something was different.

 _'_ _What was that sound? I'm…taller and I feel so…strange.'_

I didn't move.

 _'_ _Bedeviled form…'_

Keeping my focus forward I slowly and shakily lifted my hand to my eye line and staggered back as soon as I saw it.

My youthful, fleshy hand was now replaced with a bony, skeletal hand, partially concealed by the coverings of a heavy golden gauntlet.

Still shaking, I brought my hand to my chest, where I felt the cold metal of armor. My hand slowly moved down to my ribs.

As soon as the tips of my bony fingers felt the emaciated skeleton of my ribs, I exhaled at the jarring conclusion that I had made.

 _'_ _I…I've really…become a Stalfos…'_

I ran over to a reflective pond a few feet in front of me.

My reflection most assuredly showed a Stalfos.

I was equipped with golden armor painted with red lines that covered a bonefied frame. I held in my hands a sharp, grey iron sword and a golden shield emblazoned with a red, circular pattern. I had been covered in patches of ivy as well.

 _'_ _How long had I been in that void of darkness?'_

I stared into the eyes of the monster in front of me as I kneeled down in front of the reflective surface.

 _'_ _This really is me. This really is my true face now. I'm a monster now, there is no denying it. I really am just like those Stalfos in Ikana. A noble warrior that lost everything just because he couldn't let one petty little thing go…'_

Saria's distant words echoed in my mind,

 _'_ _You're not a monster…you're not a bad guy…you are Link…and you will always be my friend…please remember that…'_

 _'_ _Oh, Saria, I'm so sorry…but I'm clearly not Link anymore…I'm…'_

A different thought suddenly entered my mind.

 _'_ _Zelda! I broke my promise! She'll never know how much I wanted to see her again…'_

I broke down in that calm meadow, surrendering my weight to the grass below me and burying my face in my hands.

 _'I'm so sorry, Princess...'_


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: I imagined that several years passed while Link was being turned into a Stalfos, just to give some reference as far as time.**

* * *

 _'_ _Hyrule…it really is prospering…'_

I looked at the grand castle in the distance as I approached the Temple of Time.

 _'_ _I couldn't possibly go to the castle to check and make sure she is safe and happy. It took so much stealth and wits to just get to this courtyard without being noticed. I would certainly be killed if I even attempted to go to Hyrule Castle.'_

 _'_ _And I can't let Zelda see me like this, if she even remembers me.'_

I entered the grandiose chamber of the Temple of Time.

I didn't go to be the hero again as I was once tempted to. I simply went to say a final goodbye to myself as Link, the Hero of Time.

The sacred temple hadn't changed a bit, as if it were frozen in time. The warp pedestal, the Triforce emblems, the tall columns, the old windows, the stone walls, exactly as they were when I first entered as a clueless child.

And, there I was, the shadow of a hero, lamenting an age long forgotten, a destiny long concluded.

I approached the pedestal that once held the spiritual stones.

' _This is where I saw her deliver her message to me, where she taught me the 'Song of Time' for the first time, where she depended on me to save her kingdom…'_

I moved my hand across the stone as I looked behind me at the exit.

 _'_ _That is where I first saw her as an adult, when she revealed herself to have been Sheik the whole time. That is where it made sense why I had that longing feeling towards a Sheikah I had only just met. It was because I had known her for seven years. It was because I had fallen in love with her.'_

 _'_ _She had waited seven years to see me again and had placed so much hope in me and my courage.'_

 _'_ _The panic I felt when Ganon discovered her…'_

 _'_ _That one moment when I stood there, pounding my fists at the crystal she had been trapped in, wishing with all my might that I could break her free of Ganondorf's magic. It was that moment of desperation that I knew I would do anything to save her, that I couldn't live without her.'_

 _'_ _I had no idea then how right I was.'_

I walked around the pedestal to the door of time and placed my hand in the center as I bowed my head.

 _'_ _Behind this stone was everything else…discovering my courage…finding my destiny…finding her…defeating Ganon…losing her…losing Navi…losing myself…'_

 _'_ _Twice had she let her emotions endanger Hyrule…it makes sense that she would send me back in time, thinking that for her to do otherwise was for her to make another selfish decision.'_

 _'_ _If I am the one who had to take the fall for her to live a life where she hadn't done those things, I can accept that…'_

 _'_ _I accept myself as the forgotten hero, I accept myself as a fallen warrior, as a Stalfos, as a broken soul…'_

 _'_ _And if this is what needed to happened for Hyrule to be at peace…then…'_

 _'_ _I truly forgive you, Zelda…for sending me back…I wish I could tell you that…I would be happy to live such a life of burden again and again if it meant that I had saved you once…I'm happy that you are safe now…even if I'm…'_

My thoughts were interrupted by two thuds elsewhere in the temple. I soon heard the voices of two Hylians and turned my head to my shoulder.

 _'_ _What are they doing here? This is a sacred place.'_

"You sure this is it?", said a male.

"Yeah, the Temple of Time…the Triforce in here is supposed to be made of solid gold," said a female.

 _'_ _How dare they?'_ I thought as I turned around to find a pair of bandits.

"Well, for your sake, I hope you're right. I've used a lot of my time and resources to get us in here without anyone royal turning an eye. If you're ly-"

I unsheathed my sword and shield.

"Shh…"

"What?"

"Around that corner," the female whispered, "…a Stalfos…I think he just saw us."

 _'_ _They have no right to be here,'_ I thought as I approached the tall column that they were hiding behind.

"How did it get in here?" The male matched her quiet volume.

"I don't think that's going to matter when it kills you, Orok."

At the sight of the interlopers, I assumed a battle stance.

 _'_ _They are going to pay for violating this place.'_

Out of instinct _,_ I swung my sword forward in a broad stroke, which was met in opposition by a small, wooden sword held by the female.

"Orok! Get behind me!"

"Isha! You've never fought a Stalfos before!"

Isha only furrowed her eyebrows at me as our swords pressed against each other. The wooden sword started to crackle in weakness and soon broke, splintering into shards, leaving the woman defenseless.

"Isha!" Orok exclaimed as I plunged my sword into her stomach. It wasn't an instinct of courage or bravery, it was an instinct of pure, blind rage.

The unprotected Hylian ran to Isha's side and grabbed her cold, dead hand.

I suspended the tip of my blade at the bandit's neck.

He just sat there, looking at the sword with an innate fear in his eyes. He didn't beg for his life. He didn't expect me to have a shred of mercy, and that wasn't even the worst part.

The worst part was that I met his expectations.

With one swift stroke, my iron sword gashed his throat, forcing him to lay lifeless on top of his companion.

As if waking up from a nightmare, I staggered back in realization of what I had just done and heard my sword and shield clatter to the ground. I was mesmerized by the sight of oozing blood on the pure, white floors of the temple, and I had caused it all.

 _'_ _I did this'_

 _'_ _I…I killed them…they weren't monsters, like Octoroks or Skulltulas or Bokoblins, they…they were Hylians…they were my people…and I murdered them…'_

 _'_ _Not justice, like sealing Ganon, but…murder, cold-blooded murder.'_

 _'_ _I really am…a monster…a bad guy…'_

 _'You be the bad guy, and when you're the bad guy, you just run.'_

 _'_ _Run…'_

 _'_ _Run! I have to go!'_

I started towards the exit.

 _'_ _Or else…'_

An alarming sight froze me where I stood on the warp pedestal.

I faced the exit, yet I could not move.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I was going to give a violence warning before the chapter, but I felt like that would have ruined the unexpectedness of Link's actions. I apologize if that was unsettling.**


	18. Chapter 18

"It's just a Stalfos. We've handled them before."

Before me stood two knights of Hyrule, no doubt alerted to an unwelcome presence in the temple. They had readied their spears at the sight of me.

It didn't matter that I had left my weapons where the bandits now laid deceased.

 _'_ _I can't kill them. I don't want to kill anyone. Not after what I just did.'_

Yet, it was their job, their impulse to kill me, to protect Hyrule, as it was once mine.

As they approached me and assumed a battle stance with spears at the ready, my eyes focused on the red emblem stitched into their uniform, the red emblem that was once emblazoned on my old shield, the red emblem that I was once worthy of.

I still couldn't move.

I was frozen, out of fear of what I had done, what I still could do.

I suddenly felt a sharp, vicious pain in my right eye, and that significant red symbol started to surge with blood, clouding my vision from seeing anything else but the tainted image.

I felt myself collapse to the ground before I didn't feel anything at all.

* * *

When I had turned into a Stalfos, I still felt a life force within me, something keeping me breathing without lungs and my chest beating without a heart.

But in that moment, as the red symbol faded away, I entered that familiar darkness of oblivion. All I had was a residual consciousness.

I knew I was dead, or at least dying.

That life force was gone.

Yet, in the first seconds of that new darkness, I could still hear voices around me.

"Your Highness!"

"The intruders?"

 _'_ _Zelda…no…'_

"It's just a couple Hylians, Princess, probably from that tribe of bandits to the West, from the looks of it. They were killed by a Stalfos that had found his way into the temple, but…"

"What? You were able to kill the Stalfos, weren't you?"

"Y-yes the Stalfos is dead, but…"

"Your highness, Stalfos normally disappear after they die…but as you can see…"

There was a silence.

"You stabbed him in the right eye?"

"Yes, that's how we normally kill Stalfos. It's their only functioning organ."

The silence returned.

"Tell me, have either of you seen a Stalfos with blue eyes before?"

"No, not that I remember."

"Me neither, I've only seen red eyes, Your Highness."

"I thought so. So then why do I feel like I've seen them be-"

There was another silence until I heard heavy, panicked breathing.

 _'_ _Zelda! Somebody help her!'_

"Princess! Are you alright? I'll go fetch Impa!"

"No!"

"Your Highness?"

"No! Go back to your posts! Forget this ever happened! You are under my orders! Go now!"

"Yes, Princess"

Two pairs of quick footsteps receded into the silence.

"I did this…"

 _'_ _No…you didn't…'_

There was a deep inhale and exhale.

I heard the rustling of fabric, as if someone had just sat down.

"Link…" I heard a broken voice say.

 _'_ _She remembers me…'_

"Link, I'm so sorry…"

There was a sniffle of a nose.

"I wish you came back home sooner…"

 _'_ _She remembered…she was waiting for me…'_

 _'_ _Zelda…I'm so sorry I couldn't keep my promise…I should've come to you first…'_

 _'_ _I wish I could see you just once more…to tell you…'_

"Link, you can't hear me, but I have to say…"

"I'm sorry for everything I've done, everything you've had to endure…I can't even imagine…"

"It's obvious that I have to say goodbye to you now, but before I do, I have a confession to make."

Her voice started to fade.

"I always wanted to tell you…"

It turned to a whisper.

"…that I…"

Silence.

 _'_ _Zelda?!'_

 _'_ _That you what?'_

 _'_ _Zelda, where did you go?!'_

 _'_ _Zelda!'_


	19. Chapter 19

_'_ _She's gone, isn't she?'_

 _'_ _Or rather…I'm gone…'_

 _'_ _I've died, haven't I?'_

 _'_ _I was protected by the Goddess of Time and I wasted that protection.'_

 _'_ _On selfishness'_

 _'_ _On greed'_

 _'_ _On anger…resentment…failure…'_

 _'_ _Faron…the other he spoke of…it isn't fair that my mistakes would now endanger the next hero.'_

 _'_ _I can't teach him what I know…I can't pass on what I have learned…how will he be able to save Hyrule without me to help him discover his inner courage…his inner skills…'_

 _'_ _I've betrayed him already…'_

 _'_ _I regret so much what I have done to him…"_

The darkness slowly started to fade into lighter shades as I heard a familiar voice say,

"The flow of time is always cruel... its speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it...A thing that does not change with time is a memory of younger days…"

* * *

I opened my eyes to a realm blanketed with clouds and surrounded in a bright, golden sunlight.

I didn't realize this at the time, but my right eye was now missing and my left eye had turned a glowing red. I still was armored like a Stalfos, yet my skeletal frame had turned into gauzy, transparent flesh. My bony skull was the only remnant of proof that I had been a Stalfos, that I had experienced lifelessness before death.

The sword and shield I had left behind in the world of the living were now back in my possession, yet sheathed.

I cautiously stepped forward, looking around at the seemingly endless abyss of clouds.

 _'_ _Is this some sort of afterlife?'_

Before I could walk any further, a golden figure appeared in front of me, prompting me to stop.

She wore a long, glowing golden dress, which rippled amongst the mesmerizing waves of clouds. Her golden-brown hair framed her soft expression, which welcomed me with closed eyes and a warm smile.

Her opened eyes revealed the contrasting dark amber of her iris, as she focused her powerful gaze on me.

"The Skies."

"The Minish."

"The Four Sword."

"Thy fate hadst been sealed, Hero of Time."

I didn't dare move.

I didn't dare speak.

Something about the glare of those eyes told me I better not dare to do anything else but stand right there and listen carefully to her ancient words.

"I am the Goddess of Time. I am responsible for thy placement hither. To clarify thy inquiry, this is not the afterlife, nor am I an angel of darkness or an angel of the light. Thou hadst been placed hither in consequence of thy lingering regrets."

"A residual regret of hostility towards another in the moments of death leads to a ghostly afterlife. A residual regret of remorse in regards to the protection of another leads to spiritual ascension."

"Ye arrive here, in this purgatory, because thou hadst both."

"Despite thy transgressions in the living world, thou died selflessly, and thy final thoughts were of the one thou calls 'Princess Zelda' and of the one whom hadst yet to exist in the living world. Yet, thou still remorse thine own actions with a great deal of regret."

"Thou carry with thee still the spirit of the hero, a spirit more powerful than even thou believe me to be."

"It is for these reasons that I still protect thee."

"I bestow upon thee the benefit of time. Thou will reawaken in the living world assuming a new spiritual form."

"Seek out the boy who has paralleled courage to thy own. It is through him that thy regrets will be eased. It is through him that thy will be able to pass on."

"Fare thee well, hero. May thou find thy peace."

The goddess faded away, leaving a faint whisper among the winds,

"…twilight…"


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note: This is another one of my favorite chapters so I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

Stories faded into tales.

Tales faded into myths

Myths faded into legend.

The kingdom of Hyrule had been prospering for centuries, but never has there been an age in the kingdom's history where danger was not approaching, and, it seemed, that there never would be.

Yet I, now an ancient hero of an era long past, trod along in the search of the one whom I owed so much, the one who I was destined to find.

There I was, a long dead hero in the form of a golden wolf looking for the boy who would save Hyrule from its' next impending threat.

I was walking in the forest in the hour of twilight, the transcendent amber glow in the sky signaling the approach of night. At the sound of the growing tones of two voices, I was prompted to hide in the bushes.

I soon saw two children walking along.

 _'_ _A girl and a boy, and, from the looks of their clothes, probably from Ordon Village south of here.'_

"Thanks for inviting me out here!," said the girl, "You really have gotten so much better with that wooden sword. You should show Rusl what you've learned on your own."

"But then he'd know that I took it to practice with," the boy replied.

"Nonsense, he's like a father to you. He's always supported you no matter what. He'd probably be proud."

"I don't know about that…Besides, I think I need to get it back before he notices that's it gone."

"All right, it is getting darker out. They'll probably be worried soon."

The two started to walk back towards the village when the girl let out a loud scream,

"Eeeek!"

 _'_ _Oh no! She's seen me!'_

I started to slowly back away further into the surrounding brush when something caught my attention, stopping me in my tracks.

 _'_ _Her fearful gaze isn't aimed at me…'_

"Link! Look over there!"

 _'_ _Link?'_

I paced a couple steps forward to where I could get a better view of the two children.

 _'_ _That little boy…could he be?'_

"A skulltula!", exclaimed the little boy as he raised his wooden sword and stepped in front of the girl, taking on a beastly scowl at the massive arachnid that had appeared before them.

"Ilia, go! Find Rusl!"

"But, Link…"

"Ilia, now!"

The little girl scampered from her crouched position, running south.

I watched the boy assume a battle stance as the skulltula approached him.

 _'_ _His ears…he isn't human, like the girl, he's…Hylian…'_

I simply sat there, watching, encapsulated by the possibility that I may have found him. The boy, who seemed to go by the name Link, shook like a leaf in the wind, despite his furrowed eyebrows and concentrated gaze. He took a deep breath, calming himself down and steadying his nerves. The spider leapt forward with outstretched pincers, prompting Link to instinctively roll the side.

The skulltula had just grazed him.

"Aagh!" Link exclaimed as he exhaled heavily and grabbed his left arm, his eyes full of discomfort. He now had a large cut on his arm that stained his hands with blood. He looked back at the skulltula and resumed his previous battle stance, ignoring the obvious seeping blood and agonizing pain.

Suddenly, Link's determined expression turned to one of realization and clarity.

The skulltula lunged to strike again, yet before he got the chance, Link jumped up and plunged the wooden sword downwards into the head of the arachnid.

The sword instantly shattered into pieces, but the young boy had killed the skulltula.

Link stood there in astonishment of what he had just done, transfixed by the red smoke of the monster's remains.

It was then that I noticed a faint golden glow on his hand. The sight of the emblematic triforce, the symbol of courage, the telling shapes, the image that confirmed my suspicions, induced me to step forward out of the bushes.

 _'_ _It really is him. He is named Link…like me…I really can help him be the hero Hyrule needs.'_

Link noticed the rustle of the bushes, pulling his attention towards me, an ethereal golden wolf with one red eye and one final wish.

I expected him to scream.

I expected him to run.

I expected him to hide.

Yet he didn't.

He simply kept staring, just like I was.

We walked towards each other, feeling camaraderie, a kinship between us, a connection among us. He knew not of our shared destiny, our intertwined fate, yet his wide eyes matched mine.

He knelt right in front of me, not a child afraid of a beast, but a youth searching for the basis of his undeniable curiosity.

"Agh!" Link's exclamation interrupted the moment as he clutched his arm in response to the resurgence of his pain.

The young boy looked at me for comfort, with large, pleading blue eyes. His longing gaze was looking for solace, for the alleviation of his indisputable pain.

 _'_ _What do I do? I can't help him.'_

"Link! Where are you?." said a deep, male voice across the way.

I hurried back into the bushes to avoid being spotted, yet remained to make sure this little, fateful boy would get help.

Link turned his head to where the voice came from and we both watched as a man came running towards him with a little girl by his side, both with concerned expressions.

"Link! Oh my gosh! You're hurt!", Ilia said as she kneeled next to Link, "But, where's the monster?"

"I…I…I think I killed it…"

"You what?" The man said with a glimmer of pride in his eye and a light chuckle in his voice.

"I'm really sorry. I took the wooden sword and…I broke it…killing that monster…I didn't mean to break it, honestly…I know how hard those are to make…"

Ilia smiled up at the man, who kneeled down in front of Link and rustled his messy, brown hair.

"Come on little hero, let's get you patched up."

The man picked up Link into his arms, cradling the backs of his bent knees and the back of his head.

I watched as the three of them headed back to their village.

* * *

Once I knew they wouldn't spot me behind them, I stealthily followed them back to Ordon Village.

 _'_ _Perhaps I shouldn't,'_ I thought to myself, _'Hyrule is still at peace, after all, this boy may still have some time before his destiny is presented to him.'_

Yet I couldn't resist, after decades of searching, I was fascinated by this little boy, his coincidentally familiar name, his hopeful blue eyes. He was so much like I used to be at that age, right before everything started. Looking at him was like looking into the past, at a reflection of myself that I had almost forgotten.

I had this protective desire to make sure his wound would be taken care of, that until he was ushered into being the hero, he had a safe place to call home. I knew he could take care of himself, but in that moment, I just had this instinct to be his guardian, his protector.

Now in the village, I watched the little girl run to her own home and the man carry Link to a home near the calm stream.

I snuck my way around the back of the house and dug a hole to listen in.

"Oh, Rusl! Is everything okay!"

"Yes, he's fine, just a wound on his arm."

"Sit here, Link, I'll dress it for you."

"What happened?"

"Ilia and I went out to Faron Woods."

I heard a sigh.

"And there was a huge skulltula."

"Link! Honestly, you know better than to go too far out of the village. It's a dangerous world out there, especially for two children."

"I'm sorry, ma'am."

"Rusl won't always be around to get you out of these perilous situations. You shouldn't let your childish recklessness hinder your common sense."

"Uli, the skulltula was gone once I got there. Link defeated it himself."

"Really?"

There was a silence.

"Well, I'm glad you're safe now. I guess it's hard for me to believe that you're growing up so fast. It seems like just yesterday that we took you into our home as one of our own, and look at you now, a brave, young boy. I have a feeling our little Colin will look up to you someday."

"Well, there you are, all patched up. Are you sure you aren't hurt anywhere else?"

There was another silence.

 _'_ _He must be checking to make sure he's okay.'_

"Link? Is there something wrong with your left hand?"

"Uhh…no…j-just…some extra blood…"

 _'_ _Did he just see the Triforce? Does he know what it means?'_

"Well, go wash up, and then it's time for the little hero to get some rest."

"Hey!", said a voice near me, prompting me to look over and see a villager with a scowl on his face.

' _Oh no, I've been spotted.'_

I quickly ran into the woods, not wanting to attract any attention.

 _'_ _That was close, too close.'_

 _'_ _At least I know that he's here and he's safe.'_

 _'_ _For now, I'll stay to the outskirts of the village, waiting for the day when he is truly called upon to be Hyrule's next hero, so I can help him discover his hidden skills and channel his instinctive courage.'_

* * *

 **Author's Note: Might be a bit confusing, but "Link" in this chapter is Twilight Princess Link and Ocarina of Time Link is still telling the story through his perspective.**

 **I imagined TP Link to be about 9 years old in this chapter, around the same age as OoT Link when he first started his journey, which means that TP Link still has about 7/8 years until the day that he is thrust into the twilight.**

 **Just one chapter left to go.**


	21. Chapter 21

There he was.

The curious little boy was now a determined young man who fit quite nicely into the green tunic I once wore.

I couldn't help but be proud of the man he became and the hero he was destined to be. He was so much like I used to be, yet different, better almost. I would be able to watch him save Hyrule the way I never did.

He approached me with a scowl, obviously not remembering the moment we had when he was younger.

He drew his sword in reaction to me leaning back to pounce, as I knew that would be the only way to transport him to the spirit realm, where I could teach him properly.

As soon as my paws met his shoulders, we were both taken to the clouds.

He wasn't facing me, yet he walked forward, probably trying to figure out where he was as his head slowly went from right to left.

I watched him stop in his tracks.

 _'_ _Has he heard me?'_

He turned around quickly in reaction to my presence, readying has weapon.

 _'_ _Let's see what he does.'_

Out of instinct to my battle stance, Link leapt forward and tried to strike me with a simple vertical slice. I quickly responded by knocking him down to the ground.

 _'_ _He has much to learn, and I've been blessed with the honor of teaching him.'_

"A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage."

* * *

"Although I accepted life as the hero, I could not convey the lessons of that life to those who came after. At last, I have eased my regrets. You who have marched through countless foes, each mightier than the last…You, who now gaze to the future with vision unclouded…Surely you can restore Hyrule to its stature of yore as the chosen land of the gods…Farewell! Go and do not falter, my child!"

* * *

 **Author's Note: This is, indeed, the end of the fan fiction.**

 **Another ending that isn't necessarily "happy", I know, but at least this one ends on a better note than it started.**

 **Also, I know that the story continues from here, that every story never truly ends, and that Twilight Princess Link has an untold journey to embark on, but the Hero of Time's story is at an end. He has passed on and his regrets have been eased. So, the story that I set out to tell is over. This was always my intended ending and I'm really happy with how this story turned out.**

 **Getting into the mindset of this character and into the circumstances of his story as well exploring themes of morality, death, and destiny within the context of a franchise I love has been such a satisfying and worthwhile experience.**

 **I've surpassed my own expectations of my amateur writing ability and have enjoyed discovering motifs that I hadn't noticed before. Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and Twilight Princess are all games that are close to my heart and I am so glad that I've grown up with them and have now had the opportunity to explore their depth.**

 **None of this would have happened if it weren't for the reactions to my first two stories, as well as this one, so I'd like to thank you for reading, favoriting, and reviewing. It really means a lot.**

 **I know that this story is deeply rooted in dark themes and explores aspects that can be unsettling to some. I understand very well the disturbing nature of the existentialism and the violent images I've created as well as I understand that my writing abilities may hinder my ability to write an absolutely perfect story. It is for this reason that I do not fault anyone for not finishing. It's a rough 27,000 words and I know that better than anyone.**

 **Yet, it is these things that teach us lessons. The hardest lessons to learn are the most valuable to acquire.**

 **Help others and accept help from others when you need it. Don't take things for granted, seize every opportunity, and most importantly, have hope. As hard as it is the keep our vision unclouded by despair, remember to have hope, spirit, courage, and wisdom.**

 **It won't be too long until my next one, because it's just a couple one shots.**

 **I have some things in the works for my next big project after that, so we'll see how that goes.**

 **Until then,**

 **-fatefulfaerie**


	22. Chapter 22

Link's vision slowly returned, filtering the bright tones of a green meadow and a blue sky into his tired eyes.

He looked down to find himself the man he was once was. Not the child who saved Termina, not the warrior that became a shadow of his past, not the wolf who guarded his kin, but the Hero of Time.

The fabric of his green tunic, the weight of his floppy hat, the sound of his brown boots against the grass, all sensations he had forgotten.

His curious eyes dictated the movement of his head as he looked around.

It was just a calm, peaceful meadow, as far as the eye could see.

Until, of course, he turned around.

He felt his breath escape his chest at the sight of a familiar silhouette with her back turned.

Golden blonde hair, pointed ears, armored shoulders, pink dress, and she moved.

She wasn't just a vision, she wasn't some divine illusion, some crude joke.

She looked over her right shoulder at the sound of his boots and turned around to face him, her expression mirroring his.

"L-Link?" she said, her eyes dancing with inquisition, "Is that really you?"

Link was face to face with the woman he never thought he would see again, his ears ringing with the welcoming tones of her voice. He wanted to hug her, he wanted to kiss her, yet he just stood there instead.

Overwhelmed with forgotten emotions, Link stood there, a tear rolling down his cheek in the thankfulness of this moment, paralyzed by her beauty, her smile.

Before he even had a chance to ponder his first words to her, she ran up and hugged him, clutching his green tunic.

"I missed you, Link."

Without even a second thought, Link returned the hug, not wanting to let go of the girl embracing him.

"I missed you too, Zelda."

"I'm so sorry, Link."

"For what?" Link asked as he released her and looked into her apologetic eyes, keeping his hands on her shoulders.

"For everything, for letting you go, for what you had to go through, for my soldiers, If I had known…"

"No, it's not your fault. Don't do that to yourself. We're here now, together. I'm so thankful."

They smiled at each other before sitting down on the grass. Zelda placed her head on Link's shoulder as they sat looking out at the picturesque horizon.

"Tell me your story."

"My story?"

"When I met you, you already possessed the Triforce of Courage. The timeline where Ganondorf invaded the Sacred Realm, there must be a story in there somewhere."

"Yeah, I guess I could tell you that."

"And then…and then afterwards, too…"

Link smiled.

"Tell me the story of the Hero of Time."

"All right, it's a long one, though."

"I think we have more than enough time."

Link chuckled.

"Right."

Link laid on the grass below, staring at the clouds above him before Zelda followed suit, laying right next to him.

"I don't remember my parents. I only know what I was told. That my mother had died with me in her arms and I was soon adopted by the Great Deku Tree. I was raised as a Kokiri, the children of the forest, each given a fairy companion, to guide them through the forest, to advise them, to be their friend, their light when it got dark."

"The boy without a fairy, I believe that's what they called me. It didn't bother me too much, except when Mido would tease me for it. But it really didn't matter to me. Saria was my friend. I spent most of my days playing with her."

"I was happy in Kokiri, but all childhoods end. The story isn't sad yet, that happiness had an inevitable ending. I had to grow up someday."

"I was woken up from a vivid nightmare by a fairy, her name was Navi."

"I was given a quest to save the Great Deku Tree and soon found myself holding an emerald stone, my small eyes opened to a larger world beyond the trees of the forest, a greater purpose outside of hopping across ponds and playing hide and seek in the woods."

"But, using a sword, stepping out onto Hyrule Field, meeting the princess for the first time, seeing races I didn't know existed, none of it felt wrong."

"Scary, sure, a ten-year old taking on the world, of course I was scared."

"Yet, courage came quickly, as if it had always been there."

"It drowned my fears as I vanquished the fiery tunnels of Dodongo's Cavern and the reverberating innards of Jabu-Jabu's Belly."

"With all three stones, I was ready to open the Sacred Realm, ready to have helped the princess, ready to end my journey and go back home."

"But my nightmare had come true, the princess was taken away by her attendant in the wake of Ganondorf's attack."

"And I, still a naive child, opened the Sacred Realm in her stead. I didn't even think, and neither did the princess, that Ganondorf would then have access to it."

"As I pulled the Master Sword from its' pedestal, I was left asleep for seven years and Ganondorf had no obstruction from inflicting his wrath upon the land of Hyrule."

"I awoke a man, thrust into my destiny as the Hero of Time."

"As I freed the seven sages, I earned that title time and time again. I got used to being older, to being the Hero. It became a part of me."

"At the sunset of my great journey, the calm before the grand storm of a final battle, I had my last encounter with Sheik."

"He was a helpful Sheikah who had taught me songs on my ocarina to aid me in my quest. I always felt like there was something more to him, that he wasn't really as mysterious as he seemed. I longed to know why, and I soon did."

"The whole time, it was the princess. She had disguised herself as a Sheikah for seven years, but let her guard down for me, revealing herself as the seventh sage."

"It wasn't long before Ganondorf found her, trapping her into a crystal."

"I was desperate to break her out of there, losing my stoic quality, my unflappable facade. I couldn't control my emotions and there was only one reason."

"I…I had fallen in love with her."

At this, Zelda turned her head to Link, turning on her side to lean on her forearm. She looked at Link, her eyes full with a mix of surprise and sadness, as she didn't know about his feelings beforehand, but she did have an idea of how the story progressed.

"It wasn't about saving Hyrule anymore. From that point on, everything made sense, I…I did it for her."

"There was a moment, in the middle of defeating Ganon, when we smiled at each other and I thought…maybe…"

"Maybe I saw it in her eyes, too…but…"

"We were interrupted, our job wasn't over, after all."

"So, I defeated Ganon and he was sealed in the Sacred Realm, cursing us, swearing to exterminate our descendants."

"I hardly could believe I had really done it."

"I soon found myself transported out of the flash of white into a vacant realm, but for the calm blue skies and white clouds that surrounded us."

 _"_ Us."

"Yes, us."

* * *

Author's Note: New chapter? What? I figured I would celebrate the one-year anniversary of "The Forgotten Hero" somehow. Consider it the epilogue.

Actually, while I have you here (hello to the 14 people who are still following this story and likely forgot that they did) I have something in the works that kind of parallels this story and I'm excited to show it to you. It will be coming to a device near you in a couple months and it's titled "The Hidden Princess".

Stay tuned!


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